G A RD E N O F H E RB S

BY E L EA N O U R S I N C L A I R R O H D E

I f t h e h o n y e t h a t t h e be e s g a t h er out or s o m a ny
fl o u r e s o f h e r b es , s h r u bb es a n d t r e e s m ay j u s t e l ye

be c a ll e d t h e b ee s h o n y e so may I call it t h at I

h ave le a r ned an d
g a t h e r ed m a n y g o o d au t o u r e s
of
( not
”
w i t h o u t g r e a t l ab o u r e a n d pay n e m y b o o k e
)
W
.

I LLI AM T URN ER , Her bal], 1 5 62 .

P H I LIP L EE WA RNE R P U BLI S HE R TO

T HE ME D IC I S O CIET Y LT D .
,
L O ND O N

B O S T O N, M A S S .
, 75 5 B O Y L S T O N S T . M D M XX I
 P R E FA C E

We r e k t
i t n o t f o r th e s a e o f Cu s o m w h i ch h as ma d e i t as ,

u nf a s h i o n a b l e f o r a B o o k
t o co m e a b r o a d w i h o u a n i nt r o d u c io n t t t
a s f o r a M a n t o a p p e ar a t Ch u r c h W i h o u t
a N e c c l o h o r a La d y t k t
t t tt t
wi h o u a H o o p -p e i co a I s h o u l d n o t h a v e r o u b l e d y ou wi h
”—
,
n t t
th is . E S M I TH , The Complea t H ou s e wife, 1 7 3 6
. .

NO WAD AY S
every one wh o writes a book especially a
‘

small book O ffers an apology for doing so But this book

, .

is so unpretentious that an apology for writing it would be

absurd There is an immense wealth of literature both
.
,

learned and charming on the subj ect of herbs but there is

, ,

no small practical handbook for those who are going to

create an Ol d fashioned herb garden and who want to know
-
,

how to use these herbs as our great grandmothers did Th e -

.

” ”
fashion for blue grey white or Japanese gardens
, ,

has died out ; the rock garden still fascinates but unless , ,

made and mai ntained by skilful hands it is apt to look ,

ridiculous so let us hope that the herb garden is to b e

,

restore d to i ts form er pride of place Even those Of us .

with the s mallest s uburban plots can make a delightful

herb garden and no matter how tiny it is a perpetual j oy
, .

Herbs ask so little and they give s o m uch All that the .

maj ority of our co mmon herbs want is a fairly po or soil ( th e

poorer the better for the aro matic herbs ) and plen ty of su n
light Peo ple who know nothing o i herbs imagine that it
.

might be a dull garden consisting of o n ly foliage plant s .

But there is no blue m ore beautiful than tha t of borage ,

whilst valerian mall ows marigold and the stately mullein

, ,

( to mention o nly a few examples ) ma k e lovely spla s hes of

colour There n eed be no li mit to the si ze of the garden
.
,

for as one eminent herbal is t tells us there are on an average

, ,

about seven hun dred di fferent remedies for most of the

viii P R EFA CE

common ailments but it is undoubtedly the moderate sized

,
-

garden which is the most attrac tive This little book only
.

deals with the few well known English wild and garden
-

herbs which every one can grow and use .

NO mention is made of the purely medicinal uses of herbs ,

the receipts being mere ly for the excellent Old herbal teas ,

the syrups and conserves the herbal drinks and home made
,
-

wines the candied flowers and leaves the sweet waters

, , ,

washing balls pomanders etc which our great grand

-
, ,
-

mothers were so skilful in preparing I have includ ed j ust

.

a few r ecipes whi ch are alas of no use in our sadly un im agi

, , , ,

native age ! One of these will be found under the heading

”
Thyme To enable one to see the Fairies and I can ,

only trust it wil l not fall under the e y e of any severely

practical person but as William Coles says of some of the
,

things in his A r t of S i mpli n g if there be any that are not

true yet they are pleasant .

NOTE .
—
I should like t o thank Miss Ca n zi a n i and Miss
Alice Smail for their kind help in copying the plans for me .

E S R . . .
 C O N T E NTS

CR A FTE R P A GE

PRE F
ACE

I . OF HE R B GARD EN S

II . K NOTS FOR THE HOU S EWI F ’

E S GARD E N

III . OF S UND RY HE RB S

IV . OF S AI JLETS

V . HE RB POTTAGE S

VI . HE RB P U DD I NG S

VI I . HE RB DRI NKS AND HOME MADE-

WI NE S
VIII . AD D I TI ONAL R E CEI P TS

IX . OF THE PI CKI NG AND YI NG

DR or HERB S

X . OF S WE ET S cE NTs

AUTHOR I TI E S 2 20

I NDE X
 A G A R D EN OF H ER BS

CHAP TE R I

OF HE R B GA RDE NS
Th e w o r s hi p D em e er b e l o n s t o h a
of t g t t o ld e r r e l i gi o n
t gh t t h e y c o u l d
,

n ea r er t o t h e E art h w hi c h s o m e h a v e h o u
fi m yth o l o gy o f
,

d i s c e r n b e hi n d t h e m o r e d e n i e l y n a i o n a l t t
H o m er g
S h e i s t h e o d d es s Of d a r ca v es k k
S h e n o ws
g
. .

t h e m a i c po w e r o f c e r a i n pl a n s c u t f r o m t t h er b o s o m t o
b an e o r b l e s s S h e i s t h e go d d e s s o f t h e t ty
fe r i l i o f th e
e a r t h i n i ts wi l d n e s s
” -
WA LTE R P A TE R
. .

Ta l k e of pe r f e c t
h a ppi n e s s o r pl e as u r e a n d wh a pl a c e t
was s o t fi t t g
f o r h a as t h e a r d e n pl a c e w h e r e Ad am w as s e t
to b e th e H er b a r i s ”
t —J
O HN G E RA R D
. .

g
Al l t h e wi d e w o r l d o f v e e ta ti o n b l oo m s a n d b u d s fo r
y o u ; t h e th or n a n d t h e th i s tl e w h i c h t h e e ar t h c a s ts fo r t h
as e v i l a r e t o y o u t h e k
i n d l i e s t s er v a n ts n o d i n g pe t a l n o r y
g
d r o o pi n t en d r il i s s o f e e b l e as t o h a v e n o h e l p f o r y o u
”
.

J O H N R U S KI N .

fl
Th en t h e r e a r e s o m e o w er s th e a l w a s s e e m t o m e , y y
k
l i e o v e r d u ti fu l c h il d r en : t e n d th e m n e v e r s o l i ttl e a n d
-

y fl
th e c o m e u p a n d o u ri s h a n d s h o w a s I m a y s a y th e i r
g
b r i h t a n d h a pp fa c e s t o y o u y — D O U G LA S E R R OL D . J .

t ’
D e a h t h o u r t a co r d i a l o l d a n d r a r e
,

k
L o o h o w c o m po u n d e d wi h w h a c a r e , t t
gt
,

Ti m e go t h i s w r i n l e s r e a pi n k
h ee,
t
S w e e h e r b s fr o m a l l a n i u i
”
t q ty .

LAN I E R .

A G ARDE N —
of herbs a vineyard a garden enclosed all
, ,

these have the gravity of use and labour and are as remote ,

as memory and as familiar secluded and secret

,
But , .

what do we know O f herb gardens for we use so few -

herbs and those we have relegated to an obs cure corner of

,

the kitchen garden It is a little diffi cult even to imagine

.

a time when vegetables o ccupied only an insignificant

part of the herb garden and a still earlier time when both ,

the flower garden and the vegetable garden were non

existent and the herb garden reigned supreme We know
, .

B
z A GA RDE N OF HE R BS
1
from the greatest authority on the history of gardening
that even in Tudor days onl y very wealthy men had separate
gardens merel y for pleasure whilst all the small manors ,

and farm houses throughout the country still retained the

-

Ol d herb garden For over seven centuries before that time

.
,

all the gardens in Engl and were herb gardens and very ,
'

beautiful they must have been for roses lilies gilly fl ower s , , , ,

lavender rosemary fennel poppies marigolds hone ysuckle

, , , , , ,

periwinkles peonies and violets were a ll used as herbs

,
.

O ur ancestors ate such enormous quantities of meat that ,

for vegetables as we understand them they would have

, ,

had very little use and what they needed in large quantities
,

were al l sorts of herbs for s t u ffin gs and stewings for decora

, ,

tions for perfume and for me d icine Indeed vegetables

, .
,

are q uite newcomers in Engl and They declined in favour .

throughout Europe with the fall of the R oman Empire an d ,

though they were reintroduced after the Renaissance they ,

were not in common use till at least a hundred years later

We were far behind our continental neighbo u rs in our know ~

ledge of them and vegetables which figured in the old

,

R oma n menus were considered luxuries in this country in

the days of the later Stuarts Though po tatoes were .

introduced into England in Elizabeth s reign they were not ’

gro wn to any extent and the working people did not eat,

them for another two h undred y ears Gilbert White .

,

writing late in the eighteenth century says of them They ,

have prevailed by means Of premiums within these twenty

yea rs only and are much esteemed here now by the poor
, ,

who woul d scarcely have ventured to taste them in the last

”
reign . Of Jeru salem artichokes we knew n othing till we
learnt about them from the Re d Indians ; and they were
only introduced into Engl and in Tudor days It was about .

the same time that French beans were first cultivated in

this country but scarlet run ners were unkno wn ti ll Stuart
,

times Th e wild carrot is an indigeno us plant in the British

.

islands but of the cultivated carrot we were ignorant till

,

1
Th e Honou rabl e Mrs E v el yn Cecil Hi stor y of Gar dé tti n i ? !
.
g ,
E ngl a n d .
 OF HE R B GA R DENS
the Flemish immigrant s in the early s eventeenth century
introduced them To them also we owe our present garden
.

spinach which has had a long j ourney to reach us for it is

, ,

said t o have come from Asia through Spain Th e wild .

cabbage was used by our ancestors from Saxon days and ,

one of the Saxon names for March was sprout k ale -

m on th but otherwise the whole br a s s i ca tribe Were

unknown to us till the late sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries Sir Anthony Ashley of Wimborne St Giles ,
.
, .

Dorset who died in 1 6 2 7 has always had the reputation

, ,

of being the first to int roduce the modern cabbage into

England and on his tomb there is a cabbage portrayed at
,

his feet Hi s monument was seriously damaged by a fire

.

a few years ago but fortunately the cabbage was saved !

,

Mrs Earle in her P ot pou r r z fr om a S u r r ey Ga r d en pointed

'

-
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, ,

out that even as late as 1 8 2 4 there were no roses an d no

st r awberries in our sense of the word Samuel Ha r tlib
.
.
,

writing in 1 6 5 9 says About fifty years ago this ar t of

,

gardening began to creep into England into Sandwich and ,

Surrey Fulham and other places Some Ol d men in Surrey

, .

where it fl ou r i s h eth very much at present report that they ,

knew the first gardeners that came into those parts to plant
cabbages co ll eflo wer s and to sow tu m e ps and carrots and
,

parsnips and raith rape peas all which at that time were
,
-
,

i i we having few or none in England but what

’

g rea t r a r t e s ,

came from Holland and Flanders These gardeners with .

much ado procured a plot of good ground and gave no lesse

than eight pounds pe r acre ; yet the gentleman wa s not
co ntent fearing they would spoil his ground because they
,

did use to dig it So ignorant were the y of gardening in

.

those days .

Th e kit chen garden the refore as we know i t is quite , , ,

modern and during the many cent uries when vegetables

,

were almost unknown our an c estors relied on the he alth,

giving properties of herbs Even as late as the middle of .

the last century the herb garden retained an honoured place ,

an d the old fashioned herbs were st il l cherished for their

-

rare virtue s Lik e th e wi s e man de s cribed b y Solo m on

. , ,
4 A GA R DEN OF HE R BS

our forefathers did not despise the God given virtue s of -

these humble plants Much O f the old lore has been lost
.
,

and patent medicines have been allowed to usurp the place

o f the herb a l teas ; but at last herbs are coming into their

own again and we are beginning to realise our folly in making

,

so little use of them and especially of the sun loving aromatic

,
-

herbs Th e mere scent of them is a tonic and even in winter

.
,

their l eaves give one a delicious reminder of sunshine and

j oyous vitality Why waste their virtues which S ince
.
,

Chald aean days have been extolled by the wisest men of all
ages ? We have come to look upon health as the mere
—
absence of di sea s e with us it is a negative thing ; but the
” ” ”
word health with its cognates holy
, whole whole , ,
~

some has a positive sense and the old herbalists were

, ,

never weary of preaching the use of herbs not only to cure , ,

but also to keep one in perfect he al th Just because it is .

the custom we make use of all the S howier herbs which

, ,

now fill our kit chen gardens not only because they are ,

pleasant but also because of their health giving prope rties ; -

—
,

but wh y neglect the O lder herbs sage thyme yarrow wild , , ,

strawberry leaves violet and primrose leaves angelica

, , ,

balm rosemary fennel agrimony borage betony cowslip

, , , , , ,

flowers and leaves elder tansy and many others ? Th e old

, ,

herbal teas are wonderful tonics and some of them—balm ,

tea for instance— are delicious Why have modern house

, .

wives abandoned making rose petal conserve ? (This is far -

too delicate and f ai ry li ke a conco ction to be called

-

Why do we never make strawberry wine whi ch was Sir ,

Walter R aleigh s favourite cordial ? Why are our salads

’

such dull affairs compared with the salads of Tudor and

Stewart days ? Why do we not flavour vinegar with gill y
flowers rosemary and many other herbs ? Why do we
,

never serve syrups made from fl ower petal s (roses violets -

, ,

cowslips etc ) with sweet dish es ? R ecipes for these and

, .

many others will be found in the following pages .

With the substitution of foreign spices for our own English

herbs in fl a v o ur in g the Old herbalists have little patience .

As for fiery s pices s aid Sir John Hill Go d designe d

, ,
 OF HE R B GA R DE NS 5

those for the countrie s where they grow ; with us they have
”
continually disagreed Like all herbalists he was equally
.
,

severe with those who preferred foreign drugs to our own

medicinal herbs Nature has in this country and doubtless
.

also in all others provided in the Herbs of its own growth

the remedies for the several diseases to which it is most
subject and although the addition of what is brought from
,

abroad should not be s upposed superfluous there is no ,

”
occasion it should make the other negl ected Tea is de .

scribed by Tryon as a pretty innocent harmless liquor

, ,
“
but he continues its great esteem is chiefly for Novelty s
,
’

sake and because tis outlandish and dear and far fetcht
,
’

and therefore admired by the multitude Of ignorant people ,

who have always the greatest esteem for those things they
know not For fruits and vegetables unnaturally forced
.
,
“
and all other improvements on Nature s methods the ’

old herbali s ts had nothing but censure Whether men .

”
should attempt the forcing of Nature wrote one may best , ,

be j udged by O bserving how seldom God Almighty does

it Himself Th e foreign plants brought into our stoves
“

with so much expense and kept there with so much pains

may fill the eye with empty wonder ; but it would be more
to the honour of the possessor of them to have found out
,

the use of one common herb at home than to have enriched

our country with an hun dred of the others Why should .

he who has not yet info rmed himself thoroughly of the Nature
Of the meanest Herb which grows in the next Dit ch r a n s a c

the earth for foreign wonders ? Does he not fall un der the
reproach with the generality of those who travel for their
Improvement while they are ignorant of all they left at
,

home and who are ridiculous in their Inquiries concerning

,

the Laws and Government of other Countries while they ,

are not able to give a satisfactory an s wer to any question

which regards their own ?
But apart from the use to be made of the herbs how ,

beautiful an old herb garden is and how altogether lovable

, .

Instead of the restless activities needed in a modern garden ,

the very name herb garden suggests rest and tranquillity ,

6 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS
a quiet enclosure full of sunlight and delicious scents and , ,

plants whose peace is never disturbed ; and where the

hu mblest of newcomers can always find its own niche and ,

a welcome from the older inhabitants If ever we revive .

the beautiful Ol d English herb garden it is to be hoped that ,

it will be the garden of the fourteenth and fi fteenth cent u ries

which will claim its old place in our affections for at no time ,

were herb gardens more beautiful They were square .

enclosures surrounded by a wall or a very thick h ed ge 3 n d ,

all round was a bank of earth planted with sweet smelling -

herbs At intervals reces s es were cut to serve as S eats and

.
,

they were covered with turf thi c k yset and soft as any ,
”
velvet or camomile This idea of a bank of earth thrown
, .

up all round was borrowed from the thirteenth century -

monastic gardens nearly all of which had them and they

, ,

were soon copied in all the gardens Ho w thick the hedges .

were may be gathered from the Old po em Th e Flower ,

and the Leaf .

gg k
Th e h e e a s t hi c e as a c as tl e w a ll ,
Th a t w h o t h a t l i s t w i th o u t t o s t o n d o r go
Th o u gh h e w o u l d a l l d a y pr i e n t o a n d f r o
g
,

H e s h o u l d n o t s e e i f t h e r e w e r e a n y W i h t wi th i n or n o .

Sometimes there was a pergola or covered way round

three S ides of the wall but more commonly only on one S ide
,
.

Illustrations of these covered ways may be seen in the old

missals Th e covered in alley of the Dutch garden in
.
-

Kensington gardens is j ust like an illustration from Th e

s econ d booke of F l ower s F r u i ts B ea s tes B i r ds a n d F li es
, , ,

and would be a very good model for any one wishing

to m ak e one of the old covered ways There was usuall y .

a cistern or simple fountain in some part of the garden and ,

”
nearly always a herber This herber one hastens to .
,

add bore little or no resemblance to that modern atrocity

,

the summer house for herbers consisted merely of poles

-
,

with rosemary or sweetbriar or dog roses growing over -

them AS in Chaucer s day the herber might have a medlar

.
’

tree growing by it and for S eats inside the low growing

,
-

camomile or j ust turf Deth i ck e s uggested that herbers

, .
 OF HE RB GA R DE NS 7

should be covered with plants of a fragr ant savoure such ,

as rosemary and that they should be so constructed that

,

the Owner s frie n ds S itting in the same may the fr eeli er

’

see and b eh ol d e the b eau ti e of the garden to th ey r great

What they grew in the fifteen th century herb garden s -

can easily be ascertained Th e earliest original English .

treatise on gardening extant is a manuscript now in the

Library of Tri n ity College Cambridge I t is cal led Th e , .
'

F eate of Ga r d en i n g and was written by Mayster Jon Gardener

,

in 1 440 Miss Amherst gi ves a complete list of the herbs

.

which Mayster Jon Gardener directs to be grown They .

include strawberries (wild strawberries of course ) hyssop , , ,

woodru ff betony borage henbane lavender southernwood

, , , , , ,

tansy thyme violets wa ter lil es hollyh ocks yarrow mint

, , , , , , ,

rue roses sa ffron ca momile fo xgloves centa ury agrimony

, , , , , , ,

Herb Robert lily candidum wormwood sage horehound

, _ , , , ,

groundsel hart s tongue fern pimpernel Clary comfrey

,
’

, , , ,

valerian and cowslips besides many others There is in , .

the British M u seum a fift een th centur y manuscript (Sloane -

MS 1 2 01 ) which is a book of cookery receipts and this

.
,

gives a complete list of herbs used in coo k ing and in addition ,

’
to those mentioned in Mayster J on Gardener s enumeration ;
this list i n clu d és Alexanders mu gwort basil bugloss h u m et , , , , ,

chervil caraway chives daises dittany dandelion dill

, , , , , , ,

elecampane eyebright agrimony fennel marigold gilly

, , , , ,

flowers germander borage mercury mallow mint mar

, , , , , ,

j oram nettles orage parsley primroses ro cket savory

, , , , , , ,

smallage sorrel sow thistle vervai n rosemary and roses

, ,
-
, , .

These two lists give a very fair idea of the herbs grown in
an ordin ary fourteenth or fifteen th century garden and t h e -
,

vision of the sweet homely flowers with their deliciou s scent s

,
’
rises before one when one read s Chau cer s de s cript i on I n
,

the Romau n t of th e Ros e .

F u l ga y wi s a l t h e r o u n d an d q u e y n t g ,

A n d po u d r e d a s m e n h ad i t pe y n t
y yfl
,

W i th m a n a fr e s h a n d s u n d r our
Th at cas ten u p a ful oo d s a v o u r ”
g .
8 A GA RDE N OF HE R BS
Of the earlier herb gardens we have alas very little , ,

definite k nowledge We know from Pliny that the Druids

.

used large numbers of medicinal h erbs and we gather from ,

h i s account that the knowledge of herbal medicine was

confined to the priesthood He tells us moreover that .
, ,

they gathered herbs with such striking cere monies that it

might seem as if the British had taught them to the Persians ,

whose country was supposed to be the home of superstitious

medicine All the written lore on herbs previous to Alfred s
.
’

reign has been lost and any books there were were probably
, ,

destroyed during the terrible Danish invasion when so many ,

valuable monastic libraries were burnt That these books .

on herbs existed is almost certain for we know that in the ,

”
eighth century Boniface the Apostle of the Saxons
, , ,

received letters from various persons in England asking him

for books on simples Th e oldest herbal in England is .

an MS in the British Museum which was written under the

.

direction of one Bald who if he wa s not a personal friend

, , ,

of King A lfred s had at any rate access to the king s corre

’

,
’

s po n d en c e for he gives certain prescriptions sent b y Helias

, ,

P atriarch of Jerusalem to the king In a lecture delivered , .

before the Royal College of Physicians in 1 903 Doctor ,

J .F .Payne commented on the remarkable fact that this

and several other Saxon manuscripts on herbs were written
in the vernacular and thus they were unique in Europe at
,

that time In no other Europe an country was there at

.

that time any scientific literature written in the vernacular .

Th e Saxons had a much wider knowledge of herbs than the

do ctors of Salerno the oldest school of medi c ine in Europe
,

and also the oldest European university No treatise of .

the s chool of Salern o contemporaneous with the Leach book

of Bald is known so that the Anglo Saxons had the credit
,
-

of priority Th e Leach book of Bald was the first

.

medical treatise written in Western Europe which can be

said to belong to modern history that is produced after the ,

decadence and decline of the classical medicine In fact .

it is the earliest medical treatise produced by any of the

modern nations of Euro pe This old manuscript to which .
10 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS
r ses
o , l ilie s ,
violet s mandrakes parsley fennel s ou th ern
, , , ,
o

wood coriander sage savory hyssop mint r u e dittany

, , , , , , , ,

s mallage lettuce garden cress peonies onions garlic leeks

, , , , , , ,

beets herb mercury orach sorrel and mallows But it is

, , , .

not till we come to the fourteenth or fifteenth centuries

that we have any definite knowledge of what the gardens
looked like and what they grew in them .

From the Tudor days onwards began the separation of

the flowers from the herbs As n ew vegetables were intro .

d u ced the modern kitchen garden was graduall y establish ed

, ,

and the herb garden decreased in size ; but in importance

not for another two centuries at least It became the .

spe cial province of the housewife and in it S h e grew a l l the ,

herbs she needed for the kitchen : for teas ointments and ,

simple medicines for making distilled waters for sweet

, ,

bags to scent the linen for washing balls and pomanders

,
-
.

Th e post of still room maid in those days was not a sinecure

-
.

There was no lack of books to guide the housewife of Tudor

and Stewart da ys : the most notable being Hill s A r t of ’

Ga r d en i n g Will iam Lawson s Th e Coun tr y Hou s ewife s

’ ’

Gar d en a n d Gervase Markham s various works Gervase ’

, .

Markham gives a deli ghtful description of the ideal gardener

who should be religious honest and skilful Religious .
,

he pro ceeds to explain beca use many th in k e religion but

a fashion or cu s to m e to goe to to be one who
cherishes above all God s word and the Preach ers thereof
’

( so much as he is able ) and by honest he, means one

who will not hinder your pleasures in the garden and he ,
”
adds that he must not be a lazy lubber When he comes .
.

to gilly fl ower s (why have we given up this delightful name

for cam ati ons ? ) in his list of herbs he gives one of th ose
personal touches which are so irresistibly charming in the
,
’
old writers With a childlike faith in his readers sympathy
.

he tells us I have of them nine or ten S e ver all colours

,

and divers of them as bigge as Ro s es Of all flowe r s (save

the Damask e Rose ) they are the most pleasant to smell
.

There use is much in ornament and comforting the spirits

b y the sense of smelling Biographies full of facts and
.
 OF HE RB GA RDE NS 11

dates s o meti mes leave one cold but those few word s bridge ,

the centuries in a flash and one sees the old gardener in the
,

glory of the July su nshine working happily amongst his

i
g y ll fl o w e r s. It is L awson also who gives the sage advice
to the housewife that if her maids help her with the weeding
,

she must teach them the difference between herbs and weeds .

Thomas Hill (who adopted the n om d e pl u me of Didymus

”
Mountain for one of his books !) is in some ways the
quaintest of these three writers ; but one cannot help feeling
th at like most Tudor authorities on gardening he did not
mean to be taken quite literally and it is pleasant to find ,

that in those days as now between bo ok gardening and

, ,

practical gardening there was a great gulf fixed 1 It is ,

doubtful whether any one could suggest a more appropriate

hedge for the herb garden than his idea of young elder trees
at intervals There S hould of course be an elder tree in
.
, ,

every herb garden for have not herbs S ince time immemorial
been under the protection of the spirit of the elder tree ?
A hedge of briars as Hill truly observes within three years
, ,

would well defend out both th efe and beaste nor would it ,

be in danger of the wanton way fai r i n g man s firebrand ’

p a s s i n ge by altho
,
u gh he should put fire to it T ime .

apparen tly was of no obj ect for he suggests that the briars ,

should be grown from s eed Like the maj ority of gardeners

.

and herbalists in those days Hill b elieved firml y that the ,

sowi ng of S eeds S hould be done whilst the moon was waxing ,

and all cutting back when the moon was waning He also .

gives us this astonishing secret That many savours and ,

tastes may be felte in one herb : take first of the lettuce two
or three seeds of the endive S O many of the smallage the
, ,

lyke of the Basil the Leek and the Parsley P ut altogether

, , .

int o a hole and there will spring up a plant having so many

”
s avours or tastes He cautions one to p ay respe ct to the
.

stars whose Beames of ligh te and influence boothe qui cken

, ,

co mfo r te , preserve and ma yn ta y n e or ells nippe drye , ,

wy th er consume and d es tr oy e by s un d r y e way s the tender

s ee d es . After a lengthy and confusing astrologica l di s
co urse he adds apologetically that percha nce the m o s t
,
12 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS
part of the co mm on sort of his readers will th in k these things
~

abo ve their capacity but his conscience bounde him some

,

what to put su ch matter into their h ea d es .

When one reads the curious instructions in these old books

one cannot help wondering whether any anxious learner
took them s eriously Did they ever sprin k le seeds with
.

wine to stren gthen them and d rag spe ckled toads about
,

the garden to safeguard the young herbs ? Did they hang

hyena and crocodile S kins in the alleys to protect them from
lightnin g and hippo potamus sk ins or owls wings outspread
,
’ ’

against tempests ? Were eagles feathers pl anted in the

’

four corners and in the middle to ward o ff mists and frosts ?

And to avert disease in the plants did they burn the left horn
of an ox ? Was any one ever seen creeping stealthily into
his n eighbour s garden to purloin caterpillars in order to
’

seethe them with the herb dill and sprinkle the mixture
in order to abolish caterpillars for ever from his own garden ?
Take very d i legen t hede Hill thoughtfully adds
, that ,
”
none of this water fall neither on your face nor han d s ) ,

Did they put a solitary mole into a pot so that when he

crieth o u t the others minding to help him forth wi ll also
fall into the pot Were mice frightened away by the beds
being sprinkled with water in which the cat had been wa shed ,

or by a mixture of wild cucumber henbane and bitter ,

almonds ? No ad d er , says Hill will come into a

,

garden in which grow wormwood mugwort and southern

,

wood and therefore it should be aptly planted in the corners

,
”
or round about the garden . Did any one follow the advice
to run after adders and throw green oak leaves on them that
they might die forthwith ? Adders it seems love fennel
as toads love sage and snakes rocket And if after a
.

strenuous day the croaking of the frogs disquieted the

gardener did he go and hang up lantern s to mak e them
,

think the sun was shining ?

In the sixteenth century the fashion for growing herbs
“ ”
in knots and mazes came in and I have included ,

some of the old designs in this book and though artificial

, , ,

at least they are not so ugly as the survivals one still sees
 OF HE R B GA R DE NS 13

of the geometrical fl ower beds of Victorian days 1 Th e -

Tudor garden of any pretension also included a wild part

where the herbs could be trodden on and of such a garden ,

there is the well known description in Bacon s essay Th e

-
’
.

idea of a wild garden where the s weet smelling herbs might -

be trodden on survived into the eighteenth century In .

the E n gli s h Hou s ewife of th e S even teen th a n d E i ghteen th

C en tu r i es there is a description of one of the few genuine
,

old herb gardens still to be seen in England It is at St . .

Anne s Hill near Chertsey o n Thames originally the home

’
- -
,

of Charles James Fox and now the property of Sir Albert

,

K Rolli t and the herb garden is left very much as it was in

. ,

Charles James Fox s days Th e herbs are in no particular

’
.

order and are not raised above the level of the turf walks
and o ffer themselves to be trodden o n There are rosemary .
,

borage thyme sage fennel mint parsley rue lavender

, , , , , , , ,

chives southernwood tarragon savory hysso p cherv il

, , , , ,

and marj oram growing in charming confusion enclosed by

the thick old world beech and yew hedges which are probably
-

older than the Ge orgian house One well known eighteenth .

-

century herb garden must have been uniq ue in its fencing ,

for this was made entirely of sword blades picked up on the -

field of Culloden One of the most famous eighteenth

.

century herb gardens was Sir John Hill s in Bayswater ’

.

This great do ctor advocated that there S hould be public

herb gardens in various parts of England planted with every
herb useful in medicin e in the arts or Husbandry that they
, ,

S ho uld be o pen always free of expense to all people and ,

that there S hould be some person present to S how what

”
was deserved to be seen and explain wh at was necessary .

Till such gardens were made he generously invited any one

who was interested to come to his garden at Bayswater
let none fear to apply the plants are there and every one
,

is welcome At the end of his Vi r tu es of B r i ti s h Her bs

.

there is a note : If any one entertai n a doubt con cerning

the plan t he would use after comparin g it with the figure
and description the gardener at Bayswater S hall give a
,

s ample of it for a s king and all perso ns can co mm and the

,
14 A GA RDE N OF HE R BS
farther opinion and directions of the author when they
”
please. Sir John Hill s works on herbs ar e so learned that
’

it is refreshing in the middle of one of them to light on this

remark : I was in troduced in Yorkshire to one Brewer who ,

has contrived a Dress on Purpose for Her b ali s in g and had ,

a mask for his fa ce and pads to his knees that he might creep
into the thickets This alas is all he tells us of this
.
, ,

enthusiast .

But whether fashioned on the ol d world model or made -

j ust accordin g to the fancy of the owner a herb garden ,

should be essentially a garden enclosed ; a sanctuary of a

swee t and pl acid pleasure ; a garden of peace and of sweet
scents filled wi th a ll the humble lovable old plants one so
, ,

rarely se es and which never look really happy in company

,

with showy modern plants A modern herb garden might .

be made surrounded by ban ks (such as one sees round

Devonshire cottage gardens) and th ese could be sm othered ,

—
with herbs violets cowslips borage wild strawberries
, , , ,

germander betony yarrow centaury wild thyme and s o

, , , , ,

on . If there was room on one b ank even nettles dandelion s , ,

lesser celandine daisies etc mi ght be allowed to grow not

, , .
, ,

with the abashed furtive air they assume in the presence of

that terribly grand and merciless pe rson the gardener but ,

spreading themselves cheerful ly and comfortably in the sun ,

happy in the knowledge that even if the aforesaid gardener

rej ects them their owner realises they have virtues not to
,

be found amongst the inhabitants of the largest and tidie st

kitchen garden And how beautiful the garden itself could
.

be with every variety of lavender rosemary bergamot , , ,

hyssop thyme fennel ru e m ar j or a m l a d s love sweetbriar

, , , , ,\
’

, ,

and all the old sweet scented cabbage and Provence roses ;
-

even if these were the only inhabitants of the old fashioned -

herb garden included in it There should be nothing of .

the grand air in a herb garden AS Rousseau wisely .

observed : Th e grand air is always melan choly in a

garden it makes one think of the miseries of the man who
,

a ffects it . Th e two S ides of the alle y s will not be always

e x actl y parallel its direction wil l not be alway s in a s trai ght
,
 OF HE R B GA RDE NS 5

line it will have a certain vagueness like the gait of a

—
,

leisurely man the owner will not be anxio u s to open up

fine prospects in the distan ce Th e taste for points of view.

and distances comes from the tendency which most men

have to be pleased only where they do not happen to be
they are always longing for what is far from them and the ,

artist who does not know how to make them sufficiently

satisfied with what surrounds them allows himself this
resource to amuse them ; but the man of whom I speak has
not this anxiety and when he is well where he is he does
,
”
not desire to be elsewhere As Mrs B ar d s well has already
. .

told us the only possible addition to a herb garden is a

,

sun dial In the seventeenth century it was customary to

-
.

have a s u n dial surrounded by herbs and

-
,

H ow c o uld s u c h s w ee t an d wh o l e s om e h o u rs
Be r ec k on e d b u t wi t h h er b s a n d fl
o w er s ?
”

There is much to be learned from the old herb al ists

besides a kno wledge of herbs and herb gardens Could any .

one give better advice than old Tryon ? Let not Carking
Cares nor Perturbations a fflict your Min ds about such things
as are out of your power to help or remedy nor abandon ,

yourselves too mu ch to any Passion be it Love Hate , , ,

R evenge or the like ; avoid envy stri fe violence and , ,

oppression eith er to man or Beast ; Stillness and Co m

p l a c e n c y of Mind are two main props to support our Adamical
Buildi ng ; a Ch e a r fu l heart causeth the countenance to
shine a good conscience is a continual Feast and Content
,

i s Nectar to the Spirits and Marrow to the Bo n es , There .

fore study to be satisfied with your Portion and thank and

bless God for his Bounties which you enj oy and use his ,

creatures for the end they were given thee and above all
-
, ,

consider that thou art made in the image of God and in thee
is tru ly co n t ai ned the Properties of all Elements ; therefore
tho u art ob liged to imi tate thy Creator and so to conduct thy
ways that thou mayest attract the benign influences of the
Celestials and Terrestrials and the favourable irradiations
of the Superio r and I nfe rior wo r ld s and on th e oth er s ide ,
1 6 A GA R DEN OF HE R BS
not to awaken the Dragon that is always lurking about t h e
Golden Fruit in the fai r Garden of the internal Hesperides ,

nor irritate the original poisons nor raise combustions within

,

by falling into Disorders without ; but managing all things

in Tempe rance and Simplicity and hearkening to the Voice
,

of Wisdom and the Di c tates of Reason a n d Nat u re thou ,

shalt transact the days of thy pilgrimage here in Peace and

Tranquility and be prepared for the fruition of more com
pleat and undisturbed as well as endless Felicity .

Perhaps when we revi ve the old herb garden the herbs

will imbue us with more of the spirit of the old herbalists .

To read their works is to feel o ne knows at least something

of the minds of the writers ; and widely as their personalities
differ one thing they all seem to have had in common a n d
, ,

that was the spirit of the great Linn aeus who after seein g , ,

a flower open said I saw God in Hi s Glory passing near

,
”
me and bowed my head in worship If every herb
.
,

says William Coles S how that there is a God as verily it

, ,

doth the very beauty of Plants being an argument that

,

they are from an Intellectual principle ; what Lectures of

Divinity mi ght we receive from them if we would but attend
diligently to the inward understanding of them ? They
are to be cherished says Harrison and God to be glorified
, ,

in them becau se they are Hi s good gift s a n d created to do

”
man help and service Th e preface to Parkinson s P a r a di s i
’
.

is so beautiful that I cannot forbear quotin g some of it at

length Although the ancient Heathens did appropriate
.

the first invention of the knowledge of Herbs and so con

sequently of ph y s i ck e some unto Chiron the Centaure and
, ,

others to Apollo or E s cu la piu s his sonne ; yet we that are

Christians hav e out of a better schoole learned that God the
Creator of Heaven and Earth at the beginning when he,

created Adam I nspired him with the knowledge of all

,

natural ] th in ges for as he was able to give names to all the

living Creatures accordin g to their several] natures ; so no
,

doubt but hee had also the knowledge both what Herbes ,
“

and Fruits were fit eyt h er for Meat e or Medicine for Use

, ,

or for Delight and that Adam might exercise this know

,
18 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS
to profit the Church of God and the commonwealth by their
paines or penne doe as it were send forth a pleasing savour
,

of sweet instructions not only to that time wherein they

,

live and are fresh but being drye withered and dead cease
, , ,

not in all after ages to doe as much or more Many herbes .

and flowers that have small b ea utie or savour to co mmend

them have much more go od and vertue So many men of
,

excellent rare parts and go od qualities doe lye unknown and

not respected until] time and use of them doe set forth
,

their properties Again e many flowers have a glorious

.

shew yet of no other use ; So many doe make a glorious

,

ostentation and flourish in the world

, yet surely they
have no other vertue than their outside to commend them
or leave behind them Th e fr ai lity also of man s life is
.
’

learned by the soon e fading of the m before their flowering ,

or in their pride or so on after being either cropt by the ,

hand of the spe ctator or by a sudden blast withered and

,

parched or by the revolution of time de cayin g of its own s

,

nature as also that the fairest flowers or fruits first ripe ,

are soonest and first gathered Th e mutability als o of .

States or persons by this that as where many goo dly

, ,

flowers and frui ts did gr owe in this y ear e and age in another ,

they are quite pulled or digged up and ey th er weed es and ,

grasse grow in their place or some building erected thereon , ,

a n d there place is no more known Th e Civil] respe cts t o .

be learned from them are m any also ; for the delight of the
varieties both of formes colours and prope r ties of Herbe s
,

a n d Flowers hath ever been po werful] over dull un n a tu re d

, , ,

r u s ti ck e and savage people led only by Natures instinct ; ,

how much more powerful ] is it or S hould be in the mi u des ,

of generous persons ? for it may well bee said he is n ot ,

”
human that is not allured with this obj ect .

And finally to quote Gerard : They (herbs ) were such

delights as man in the perfect state of his innocence did
erst enj oy and treasures I may well terme them seeing
, ,

both Kings and Princes have esteemed them as j ewels ; sith

wise men have made their whole life as a pilgrimage to
attaine t o th e knowledge of the m Th e hidden vertue of .
 OF HE R B GA RDE NS 1 9

the m is s uch that (as Plin ie n o teth ) the very brute beasts
have found it out What greater delight is there than to
.

behold the earth apparelled with plants as with a robe of

i mb r oi d er ed wo r k e s et with orient pearles and garnished
with gr eat di v er s itie of rare and costly j ewels ? But these
delights are in the outward senses—the principal delight is
in the minde singu larly enriched with the Knowledge of
these visible things setting forth to us the invisible wi s d orne
,

and ad mirable wor km anship of almigh tie God .

”
 CHAP TE R II

K NO TS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE

’
S
Th e n u m ber o f fo r m e s m a e s a n d z
g
,

t
m e n a r e s o d i v er s e l y d e l i h e d h a I l ea v e t t
y g
,

t o h e r s e l fe e s p ec i a ll
, s ee in t o s et d o wn e
b u t t o fi l l m u c h p a pe r . t
Y e t l e s I d e pr i v e
t t
a n d d i r e c i o n l e t h e r v i e w h e s e fe w c h o i s e
g y
,

t t
no e h is e n e r a ll t t
ha
y
,

t t
b o r d er e d a b o u w i h r o s e r os e m a r
g
,

k
i s s o p, s a e o r s u c h -l i e
”
.
-
Wi ll i am
H ou s ewif e s G a r d en, 1 6 1 8
’
.
 K NOTS F O R THE HO U SEWIFE S GA R DE N
’
21

R a mpa n d e lyon s s tode by won d er fly , M a d e a l l of h er bes wi th d a l s et

s weten e s s , Wi th m a n y d r a gon s of m a r vey l ou s l i k en es s
.
”
H i s tor i c of
”
G r a u n de A mou r a n d l a bel l P u cell ca l l ed th e P a s ti m e of P le a s u r e, by
S tephen H a wes , 1 5 5 4 .
 22 A GA R DE N OF HE RBS

TH E FLO WE R O F DELU CE .
OV ALL

H eer e I h a ve i n th e pa per th e Ova lls s o r ou n d A n d i n th e gr ou n d

” p
u t,
th e s a me I c a n cu t
.
 K NOTS FOR THE HOU S EWI FE S GA RDE N
’
2 3

A s ca le o
f 24 fools .

Th i s i s a good patter n for a wi l der nes s . A s well a s for a Q u a r ter of

“ ”
-F r om The Co mplea t Ga r dener s P r acti ce, by S teph en B l a ke, 1 6 6 4
’
.
24 A GA R DE N OF HE R BS

TTHZ IWAZ E

H er e by th e wa y (gen tle Rea d er ) I d oo pl a ce two pr opper m a es z

th e ga r d en er s h a ll m u c h bea u ti /y e th em i n devi s i n ge fo wer s u n d r y fr u i tes to
z
be pl a ced i n ea ch of th e c or n er s of th e m a e, a n d i n th e m i dd le of i t a pr oper
h er ber d ecked wy th Ros es , or elles s om e fayr e tr ee of R os ema r y e .

O V ALL
26 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS

A C U RI OU S
FI NE K NO T
 KNOTS FOR THE HOUSE WI FE S GA RDE N
’
27

NEW KNO T

NEW KNO T
FO R A PER
FEGT G ARDEN

E A pr oper knot for a ga r den wher ea s i s s par e r a me en ough the

q ,

may bee s et ey ther wi th Ti me or I s ope a t th e di s cr eti on of the Gar d i ner

w
h i ch
.
28 GA R DE N OF HE R BS

T RE FO Y LE
 CHAP TE R III

OF S UNDRY HE RBS

Le r n e t h e h y gh a n d m e r v e l o u s v e r tu e o f h er b e s ; K n o w
h o w i n e s ti m a b l e a pr e s e r v a ti v e t o t h e h e l t h o f m a n G o d h a th
p r o v y d e d g r o w i
y g n e v er d a y ye a t o u r b a n d e s u s e t h e e ffe c ts
g
,

wi th r ev er e n c e a n d k k
i v e t h a n s t o t h e m a e r c e l e s t y all
B
.

e h o ld h o w m u c h i t e x c e d e th t o u s e m e d e c y n e o f e fica c y e
k
n a t u r a ll b y G od o r d e y n e d th a n wi c e d w o r d e s o r c h a r m e s
—
, ,

u n n a tu r a l ] b y t h e d i v y l l i n v e n te d
”
of e fic a c y e Th e
.

vi r tu os e bo ke of D i s ty l l ac i o n of th e Wa ter s of a ll m aner H er bes

b y Mas t er J h e r o m B ru n s wy k e , 1 5 2 7 .

Wh o g
w o ul d l oo k e d a n e r o u s l y u p at t t t
P l an e s h a m i h g t
s a fe l y l o k e d o wn e a t P l a n ts ? —J oh n Ge r a r d , Th e Her ball,
1 5 97

q
Th e r e i s n o u e s ti o n b u t th at v er y
wo n d er ful e ffec ts
g
m a y b e w r o u h t b y t h e V er tu e s wh i c h a r e e n v e l o pe d
t h e c o mpa s s e o f t h e G r e en M a n tl e s w h e r e wi th Ma n P l an ts y
ar e ad or n e d
” -
W Col es , Th e A r t of S i mpl i ng 1 6 5 6
. . , .

AG RIMO NY
I N m any herbal s Agrimony i s spelt Ar gem oney and the ,
”
name is derived from the Greek ar gemos a white speck ,

on the ey e which this plant was supposed to cure English .

”
country folk used to call it church steeples and the -
,

plant with its exquisitely del icate spike of yellow flowers

is certainly suggestive of a steeple From the days of our
Saxon ancestors Agrimony has enj oyed a high repute .

As it is a very co mm on perennial in waste places any ,

one wishing to include it in their herb garden can obtain

the roots in spring or autumn .

AGRIM Y ON TE A —One
pint of boiling water po ured on to
a handful of the plant stems flowers and leaves h a v e
-
, .

29
30 A GA RDEN OF HE R BS
till cold and then s train In France this is drunk as an
.

ordinary beverage when Agrimony is in flower and the ,

peas ant s have a great belief in its h ealth giving pro perti es -
.

ANGE LI CA
Th e wh ol e l an te b o th l eafe r o ot e, an d s c e d e, is o f an
e xc e ll en t co m o r t a b l e
,

s e n t, s a v o u r an d t t
as e .
” —J oh n
k
P ar i n s on , Th ea tr e of P l an ts , 1 6 4 0 .

There
’

is an old legend that the wo n derful virtue s of

Angelica were revealed b y an angel to a monk during a
terrible plague and hence its name From earliest ti mes
, .

Angelica has enj oyed a great reputation for its powers

against witchcraft and it is the o n ly herb for which Gerard
,

claims this quality .

Th e leaves steeped in hot water were largely used to alla y

an y sort of inflammation and it was one of the ingredient s
,

in the famous old French E au d Ar q u eb u s ad e To bit e ’

.

and chaw a root of Angelica was much re commended

during the Great Plague of 1 66 0 In Stewart days the best .

dried roots were impo rted fro m Spain but Sir John Hill ,

tells us that those from Bohemia were superior to any other ,

and that English An gelica was S e cond only to the Bohemian .

Amongst the Laplanders Angelica was held in high repute ,

and they used to crown their poet s with it in order that they
might be inspired by the scent of it Formerly they used .

to make an incision in the stems and crown of the root at

the beginnin g of spring and collect the m us k fl a v our ed
,
-

resinous gum which came out .

Angelica likes moisture but it is almo s t as adaptable as

,

forget me not in accommodating itself to any fairly good soil

- -
.

Abercrombie speaks of it as an annual perennial i c it i s -

, . .

best to take it up and re plant yearly Th e S eed is slow and .

capriciou s in germinating It is best to so w the s eed in

.

August as soon as it is ri pe Sow thinly and when s i x .

,

inche s high thin the m to at lea s t three feet apa rt They

, .

flower in June of the second year and mu st then be cu t

d own as if all owed to run to s eed the y s oon perish
, .
 OF S U ND R Y HE RBS 1

To CAND A Y —130i]
the stalks of Angeli ca in
NGE LI CA
water till they are tender ; then pee] them and put the m in
other warm water and cover them Let them stand over .

a gentle Fire till they become very green ; then lay them on
a cloth to dry ; take their weight in fine Sugar with a littl e
Rose water and boil it to a Candy height
-
Then put in your .

Angeli ca and boil the m up qui ck ; then take the m ou t and

—
dry them for u s e From The Recei pt B ook of J oh n Nott ,

Co ok t o the Duke of Bolton 1 7 2 3 , .

To P RE S E RVE A NGE LI CA RO OTS —Wash the m slice the m ,

thin put them to steep i n fair Water and s hift the Water
, ,

every day for three Days Then set them all night in a
, .

Pot o ver warm Embers po ur off the water in the Morn ing
, ,

and take two Pounds of Sugar and two Q uarts of Water to

a Pound of Roots and boil them in it ; when they are b oil d ’

—
,

en ough take the m ou t and boil the Syrup gentl y I bi d . .

A NG E LI CA WATE R —Take of the Leaves of An gelica four

Pounds An ni se S eeds three Ounces Coriander and Carrawa y
,
-
,

seeds of each four Ounces ; cut the Leaves small and bruise
the seeds carefully together in a Mortar put them into th e ,

St ill with six Gallon s of White Wine and let them stand all ,

Night the next Morning put in a Handf u l of fresh Clove

,

Gi lly fl ower s t h e same Q ua ntit y of Sage fl ower s and th e

,
-
,

sa me Quantity of the Tops and Leaves of Sweet Maj oram

when all are in stir them well up with a Stick and then put
, ,

o n the Head of the Still close it with a paper wett ed with

,

Flour and Water Paste and then distill off the Liquor ; the
,

quantity to be drawn o ff is three Gallons ; it is e x cellent .

From Th e Recei pt B ook of E li za beth Cl el a nd 1 7 5 9 , .

To CAN D A Y N GE LI CA Le aves before

LE AVE S —Ta k e the
'

they be grown too big put them into a Skillet of boiling

,

water ; when they are tender take them out spread them , ,

on the bottom of plates open them and lay them on e upo n

, ,

another till the plate be pretty ful] ; then pour upon them
,

s ugar boiled to a pretty thick syru p and let the m s tand ,

3 2 A GA R DE N OF HE RBS

two or three days heating them now and then on some

,

c oals ; lay them upo n glasses sift sugar on first lay the , ,

leaves on one by one and dry them in the s un ; when they

,

are dry lay them in boxes with paper between each layer
of leaves —From The Recei pt B ook of M r s A n n e S ha cktefor d
, ,

. .

of Wi n ch es ter 1 7 6 7 , .

ANISEED
Although a native of Egypt anise doe s well in English ,

gardens if given a warm sunny place and it was grown in , ,

the old herb gardens as early as the fourteenth century .

Anise was on e of the chief ingredients of the spiced cake

served at the end of a rich feast by the Romans and it is ,

to this cake ou r modern bridal cake is suppo sed to trace its

an cestr y Even in the early nineteenth century an ise was
.

comm only used for fl a v ou r in g soups and sometimes bread ,

but it is rather too aromatic for the modern taste .

.

A is a h lf hard y annual Sow during April in po ts

NI S E a -
.

plunged in a h ot bed and remove to a war m light border

-
, ,

in May .

-H
A T
N I S EE D
E A alf a . pint of b oiling water on two
teas poonful s of the b r uised seed .

A RTI CHOKE ( GLO B E)

Th e Globe Artichoke is such a mode m looking plant -

yet it is in reality one of the oldest inhabit ants of the herb

“
garden Its name is derived from the Arabic Al kh ar s h uf
.
,

and as it is one of the oldest cultivated herbs in the world ,

it should find a place in every herb garden however tiny , .

Some herbalists call it the thistle of the garden and De th i ck e ,

tells us that it grew Wild in the fields and came by di ligence ,

to be care fully bestowed in the garden where through ,

travail brought from his wildness to serve unto the use of

the mouth Some of the old instructions for the growing
.

of artichokes are very delightful See that the mice haunt .

”
not the roots says one ,
for once allured of the pleasant
,
34 A GA RD EN o r HE RBS

—
only the t ops of the leaves a little fade d Sir Hugh Platt ,

D eli ghts f or La di es , 1 5 94 .

To S TE W
A RTI C HO KE S First let your artichokes be .
-

b o y l ed then take out the core and take o ff all the leaves
, ,

cut the bottome into quarters spli tting them in the middl e .

Provide a flat stewing pan or dish wherein put thin Manchet

tostes and lay the artichoke on th em the Marrows of two
, ,

Bones fiv e or six large blades of mace halfe pound of

, ,

preserved plu m s with their syrup an d sugar (if the syrup

,

doe not make them sweet enough ) Let a ll these stew .

together If you stew them in a dish serve them in it not

.
, ,

stirring them only lay on some preserves which are fresh

, ,

as Barberries or suchlike Sippet it and serve it up . .

Instead of Preserves you may stew ordinary Plu m m es which

will be Cheaper if you have no old Preserve s —From The
Recei pt B ook of J os eph Cooper Cook to Charles I 1 6 5 4 , ,
.

To A RTI C HO KE S —Boyl and sever all from the

FR Y .

Bottoms and slice them in the midst and quarter it dip

, ,

t hem in Batter and fry them in Butter for the Sauce take ,

Butter and Sugar with the juice of an orange D i sh your .

Artichokes with this sauce ( being fried brown ) a n d lay

b o y l d marrow of bones on them Garnish it with Orange
’

—
.

and serve u p I bi d . .

A RTI CHO KE P I E —Take your artichokes boil them and ,

take out the Leaves and the Core and trim the Bottoms , .

Cu t some in quarters and so me whole To eight Bottoms .

take the Marrows of four good bones taken out as wh ole as

you can Toss th es e i n the Yolks of eggs and sea son them
.
,

with Salt Sugar Ginger Cin namon and Nutmeg R aise a

, , , .

Pie La y in your Bottoms put Marrow between and your

.
,

quarters uppermost lay marrow with them P u t on them

, .

the Yolks of eight hard eggs La y over them Citron and .

.
—
Dates Put over Butter and close it and Bake I bi d , .

RE S O LE S A RTI CHOKE S O R P OTATOE S

OF .
—
Take Artichoke
bottoms boiled (or potatoe s boiled ) and beat them in a Mortar ,
 OF SUND RY HE RBS 35

with good marrow from bones seasoned with Salt Nutmeg , , ,

Gin ger Cinnamon and Sugar Orange fl o wer water or Rose

, ,
-

water some grated Citron ; work up with Naples b i s k et

,

grated an d the Yolks of Eggs and put it in sweet paste

, , ,

and either bake it or fry it .

Another way is with the yolks of hard eggs minced and ,

add to them h al f as mu ch almonds finely beaten as eggs , ,

season with the same as before and work it up wi th b i s k et ,

.
,

thick butter and the yolks of eggs and put in some plu m pt
, ,

currants and either bake them or fry them in butter I bi d

, .
-
.

To FR Y Y O U NG ARTI C HOKE s .
—
Take young artichokes or
suckers and pare o ff all the outside as you pare Apples
, ,

and boyl them tender then take them up and S lit them ,

thorow the midst but do not take out the c o a r e but lay the
, ,

split side d own ewa r d on a dry Cloth to draine out the water .

Then mix a little Flower two or three yolks of eggs beat en , ,

Gin ger Nutmeg Vinegar and Salt to the thickness of a

, , , ‘

batter and roule them wel l in it Then get a frying pan .

-

with Butter pretty hot and fry them in it ti ll they be brown ; ,

for the Sauce make a Lear with yolks of eggs white wine , ,

cinnamon ginger sugar with a great piece of butter keeping

, , , ,

it with stirring on the fire till it be t hi ck Then dish them .

on white Bread Toste s with the Can dl e on them and serve

-
,

them u p I bi ri .
-
.

A RTI C HO K E —Th e
Bottoms of artichokes with
PIE
Marrow and dates with a handful of herbs and baked in
a pi e —John Evelyn A ceta r i a 1 6 99 , , .

A RTI CHO KE S B RC I LE D
as the scaley —Broil them and .

leaves open baste them with sweet and fresh o y l but with
, ,

care extraordin ary for if a drop fall upo n the coals all is,

m ar r d : that hazard es caped eat them with the j uice of

’

—
Orange and Sugar I bi d . .

P OTTE D ARTI C HOKE s Th e way of preserving them fresh .

-

all win ter is by s eparating the Bottoms from the Leaves

36 A GA RDE N OF HE R BS
and after Pa rboiling allowing to every Bottom a sm all
,

e ar th er n glazed Pot ; burying it all over in fresh melted

Butter as they d o Wild Fowl et c Or if more than one in a , .

larger Pot in the same Bed and Covering Layer upon Layer .

They are also preserved by stringing them on Pack thread ,

and clean Paper being put between every Bottom to hinder

them from touching one another and so hung up in a dry
place —I bi d
,

A RTI CHO KE S ,B RI GO U LE WAY

THE Take the middling .
-

sort of Arti chokes pare them and take o ff the Choke ; put
, ,

them into a Stew pan seasoned with Pepper Salt Garli c

-
, , ,

ou t small some Tru ffles Mushrooms green Onions and

, , , ,

Parsley ; put it a ll to your Artichokes add a Glass of Water ,

with a Glass of Oil and let them stew ; being done dish
—
, ,

them up with their Liquor and Lemon juice From The -

.

Recei pt B ook of Vi n cen t La Ch apell e Chief Cook to Th e ,

Prin c e of Orange 1 74 4 , .

A RTI CHO KE S THE I TA LI AN WAY

, .
—Take the middling
sort of Artichokes pare and boi l them till you can easily
, ,

take o ff the Chokes and cut small Parsley with a few green
,

Onions and Mushrooms ; put them in a Stew pan over the -

Fire with half a Glass of good Oil Pepper Salt and sweet
, , , ,

Herbs ; put in a Baking pan some Slices of Bacon place-

,

over these your Artichokes put into every Artichoke Mush ,

rooms and green Onions cover the s e with Slices of Bacon

, ,

and put them into the Oven ; being done take them out to ,

drain and dish them up At another time serve the m u p

—
.
, ,

with a White Sauce I bi d .

B ALM
B alm m a k es t h e h ear t m er r y a n d j yf
o ul .

A r a bi a n P r o ver b .

q
Th e h e r b w i th o u t a ll u e s ti o n i s a n e ce ll e n t h e l pe t o x
c o m fo r t t h e h e a r t as t h e v e r y s m e ll m ay i n d u c e a n y s o t o
b e li e v e
.
”—J k
oh n P a r i n s o n , P a r a d i s i , 1 6 2 9 .

Balm is a favourit e herb with every one for there are ,

few leave s with a more delici ous and refreshing sce n t Balm .
 OF S U ND R Y HE R BS 37

t ea also with its delicate lemon flavour is not only most

, ,

whol esome but quite unlike any other summer drink Th e

, .

plant grows wild nearly everywhere in the south of England ,

and i n a garden it is a r ampant grower but it is impossible ,

to have too much of it No wonder it was a favourite .

stre wing herb in the days when the delightful custom

prevailed of strewing rooms with s c ented herbs Gerard .

tells us that if bee hives are ru bbed with balm it causeth

-

the bees to k eepe together and causeth others to come unto

them . He also tel l s us that besides being good for tooth
a che , it is good for those that cannot take breath u n l eS S e
they hold their n eck es u pright ! Th e famous Balm of
Gilead in which the Ishmaelites to whom Joseph was sold , ,

trafficked and of which Jeremiah speaks was the true

, ,

balsam of Jud aea which at one time grew only at Jericho

, .

There is an old legend that it was necessary to pi c k it whilst

instruments of music were played this being the only way ,

of distracting the attention of the asps who guarded it .

When the Turks took the Holy Land they transplanted

large quantities of the plant to Grand Cairo where j anis ,

s ar i es guarded it during the time the balsam was flowing .

O ur English balm has always been extolled by herbalists

as sovereign for the brain One of them says : It is .

an h ea r be greatly to be esteemed of students for by a spe cial ,

property it dr iveth away heaviness of mind sharpeneth ,

”
the un d erstanding and en cr eas eth memory , .

B ALM is a h ardy herbaceous perennial and is a terribly ,

rapid spreader It likes a clayey soil but it should never

.
,

be given man ure Propagate by root division (the smallest

.

pieces will gro w) any time during the spring a n d autumn

or by slips taken in May Th e latter must be inserted in .

a shady border in May or June and removed to permanent ,

quarters in September .

Ho w TO M AK E
WATE R WHI C H I S U S UALLY CALLE D
THE
- —
B ALM E WATE R To every gallon of Claret wine put o n e
.

pound of green balme Keep that which cometh first and .

,

is clearest by i ts elfe an d the s econd and whiter s ort which

, , ,
3 8 A GA R DE N OF HE R BS
0

is weakest and comest last by i ts elfe : distil l in a pewter

,

Limbeck luted with paste to a brasse pot Draw this in

May or June when the herb is in his prim e —Sir Hugh
.

Platt D eli ghts for La di es 1 65 9

, , .

B ALM W I NE —Take twenty pounds of lum p s ugar and

four gallons and a half of water boil it gently for one hour , ,

and put it into a tub to cool ; take two pounds of the tops
of green balm and bruise them put them into a barrel with
, ,

a little new yeast and when the liquor is nearly cold pour
,

it on the balm ; stir it well together and let it stand twenty ,

four hours stirring it often ; then bung it tight and the

—
, ,

longer you keep it the better it will b e From Th e Recei pt .

B ook of Ri ch ar d B r i ggs many years Co ok at the Globe

,

Tavern Fleet Street the White Hart Tave r n Holb o m and

, , , ,

at the Temple Co ffee House 1 7 8 8 , .

B M WAL — 130i] ten pounds of moist sugar in four

I NE

gallons of water for over an hour and skim it well Pour , .

into an earthenware vessel to cool Bruise a pound and a .

quarter of balm tops and put them into a small cask with
yeast spread on toast and when the above liquor is cool
, ,

pour it on the balm Stir them well together and let th e

.
,

mixture stand for twe nty four hours stirring it frequently ;

-
,

then close it up lightly at first and more se curely after

,

fermentation has quite ceased When it has stood for six .

or eight weeks bottle it o ff putting a lump of sugar into ,

each bottle Cork the bottle well and keep it at least a year
before putting it into use —
.

Dr Fern ie Her bal S i mpl es 1 8 97

. .
, , .

B A LM TE A —Pour one pint of boiling water on two ounces

of the young tops and leaves .

BASI L
Th i s i s t h e h e r b w h i c h a ll a u th o r s a r e to e th er b y t h e g
e ar s a b ou t an d r ai l a t o n e a n o th e r (l i e l a w e r s ) k y .

N i c h o l as Cu l pe pp er Th e E n gli s h P hy s i ti a n
, .

There are few plants in the herb garden with more con
t r a di ct o r y asso ciations than basil Amongst all European .
 or SUN D R Y HE R BS 39

nations it is supposed to b e en d owed with both b en eficen t

and S inister qualities whilst in the East there is no herb with
,

more sacred asso ciations Tulasi (basil ) is a holy herb to

.

the Hindoos and is grown near every temple and dwelling

,

that it may protect those who cultivate it from misfortune ,

and guide them to Heaven It is sacred to Vishnu and .

,
” ”
propitious perfumed
, devil destroying are only a
,
-
,

few of the epithets applied to it De Gu b ern ati s says of .

it : Under the mystery of this herb is shrouded without

doubt the god creator himself -
Th e herb tulasi is con .

s e c r a t ed to Vishnu ; but it is no less adored by the votaries

of Siva Krishna the popular incarnation of the god

.
,

Vishnu has also adopted this herb for his worship Wh en

,

.
,

an Indian dies they place on his breast a leaf of tulasi ; when

he is dead they wash the head of the corps e with water in
whi ch fl a x seeds and tulasi leaves have been dropped
-
.

Good fortune awaits those who build their house on a spo t

where tulasi has grown freely and there is no forgiveness ,

in this world or the next for any one wh o wilfully uproots

it It must never be picked at all except for some worthy
.

purpose and this prayer is said :

, Mother Tulasi be thou ,

propitious if I gather you with care be merciful unto me , ,

O Tulasi Mother of the world

, In Malabar sweet basil .

is very largely cultivated and tulasi plays an important

,

part wh en th e Maharaj ah of Travancore performs the

Sacred Ceremony of tu labh a r a m In the Deccan basil is .

regarded with equal veneration and is planted on the altar ,

before each Brahmin house .

It is curious that among Western nations one of the oldest

associations with basil is hatred and abuse Th e ancient .

Greeks beli eved basil mu st be sown with words of abuse or

else it would not flourish a n d to this day the French have
the proverb s emer le ba s i li c —s landering Both amongst
,

, .

Western and Eastern nations basil is asso ciated with death ,

and in Crete the plant is asso ciated with the Evil One Yet .

in Western Europe it is regarded as of sovereign power

against witches Th e Italians say basil engenders sympathy
between those who wear it ; and to Moldavians it is an
40 A GA RDE N or HE R BS

enchanted flower of such potency that a man wh o accept s ,

a sprig from a woman will love her for ever Bacon records .

the curious superstition that if basil is expose d too much

to the sun it changes into wild thyme and nearly every old ,

h er b al i s t as s u r es us that rue and basil will never grow near

’

each other Basil was one of the old strewing herbs Its
. .

clove like flavour is much prized by good French cooks but

-
,

our English cooks do not appreciate it though they occasion ,

ally will use it to flavour soup Evelyn tells us that it must .

be used very sparingl y and for salads only the tender tops , , .

In those days strong flavours were po pular .

B AS I L (both the b ush and the larger sweet basil ) S hould

be sown in gentle heat in March hardened o ff in May and , ,

planted out at the end of May on to warm borders or beds

of light rich earth
, .

BETO NY
B t
e on yi g s ood fo r a m an
’
s s o ul o r hi s b od y .

S axon H er bal .

Wo od b e ton y i i it s n s p r i m e in Ma y
J d J ly d y
,

I n u n e an u o e s i t s b l o o m d i s pl a
g g
,

t
A fi n e b r i h r e d d o e s h i s r a n d pl a n a d or n , t t
g t
To a h e r i t fo r d r i n I h i n n o s c o r n ; k t k
k
I l l m a e a c o n s er v e o f i ts fr a r a n
’
o w er s , g t fl
t
Ce ph a l i c k v i r u es i n hi s h e r b r e m a i n t ,

To c h as e e a c h d i r e d i s o r d e r fr o m t h e b r a i n .

D e l iri o u s p e r s o n s h e r e a c u r e m a y fin d
t
To s e m t h e p h r e n s a n d t o c al m t h e m i n d y
y
.

t
Al l a u h o r s o w n w o od -b e o n is goo d t
g
,
’
Ti s Ki n o e r a ll t h e h e r b s h a d e c t h e
’
t t k
g y
A K i n s p h s i c i an e r s s u c h n o i c e oo
’
t t t k
t
O f h is h e o n i ts v i r u e s wr o e a b o o t ”
t k
J
, .

am e s Ch am b e r s Th e P oor P hy tol ogi s t , .

Betony h a s indeed fallen from its old high estate for ,

how few now know or care about its virtues ? Yet with
the exception of vervain th ere was no herb more highly ,

prized in olden times Th e Saxon herbal to which reference

.
,

i s made in the above is suppo sed to be an abridged copy

“

,
4 2 A GA RDEN OF HE R BS

GRE E N S ALVE OR B ETONI AN O I NTME NT —Take a hand .

1

ful of each Of the following herbs Balm Sage Southern , , ,

wood R osemary Wood Betony Camomile Lavender

, , , , ,

Feverfew Red rosebuds and Wormwood Strip all from

, .

the stalks and cut fine then boil in I i lbs Of fresh Lard , .

in the Oven for two or three hours and squee ze thro a ,

’

cloth For a bruise rub gently and for an inward bruise

.
,

take the S i ze of a nut in hot beer at bed time -

.

BO RAGE
Th e t t h e co n s er v e o f b o r a e i s
v er u e o f g e s pe c i all yg oo d
a g t
a i n s m e l an c h o l i e ; i t m a e h o n e m e r i e
”
kt .
—The Tr eas u r i e
o
f H i d den S ecr ets a n d Com m od i on s C on cei ts , 15 86 .

Pliny calls borage eu ph r osy n u m because it made men

j oyful and it was one of the four cordial flowers for
,

cheerin g the heart the other three being rose violet and
, ,

an chusa Parkinson in his E a r thly P a r adi s e tells us that

.

its lovely blue flowers were favourites in women s needle ’

work and i t is curiou s that it should have disappeared

,

from modern embroidery for with its e ffective black eye , ,

it is always so attractive According to Deth i ck e the seeds .

of borage should be gathered when half ripe and then laid

in the su n to ripen but any modern herbalist will tell you,

that borage needs no care for it is only too ready to seed ,

itself everywhere Borage flowers never s eem lovelier than

.

when growing in profusion with ragged robin and cow

parsley on the steep banks of Devonshire lanes Formerly .
,

borage leaves were an esteemed pot herb and the young -

,

tops were used to flavour soup a custom which well migh t ,

”
be revived for they are of an ex cellent cordial savour
, .

B ORAGE may be sown in any light soil in Ap ri l and again ,

in July and if left alone it will seed itself Th e plants

, .

1
Th i s r e c e i pt w as ki n d l y gi v e n m e b y Mi s s C S B u rn e P r e s i d e n t
o f Th e F o l k L o r e S o c i e ty wh o a ppe n d e d thi s n o t e t o i t
. .
,

Mr s Ma r y G o o d l ad ( n ee H a w o r th o f B u r y L a n cas h i r e) b o r n
d i e d 1 8 7 0 m a d e a n d p r e s c r i b e d t h i s O i n tm e n t r e gu l a r l y
.
, , ,

1 78 8 I
h a v e m ys e l f b e e n tr e at e d wi th i t i n c h il d h oo d
.
, ,

Th e r e c i pe i s c o pi e d
fr o m h er o w n h a n d w r i ti n g i n a M S b o o k o f r e ci p e s b e l o n gi n g t o h e r
.

d a u g h t er m y m o th er
.

, .
 OF S U ND R Y HE R BS 43

should be well thinned (eighteen inches apart ) and it is ,

better not to transplant them .

Y
To CAN D B ORAGE O R R OS E AR F LO , M Y W
E RS —Boil Sugar
and Ro se water a little upo n a ch afin g dish with coales
- -

then put the flowers (being th or owly dried either by the ,

Sun or by the Fire) into the Sugar and b o il e them a little ,

then strew the powder of double refined Sugar upon them ,

and turne them and let them b o ile a little longer taking
, ,

the dish from the Fire then st r ew more powdered Sugar

on the contrary side of the flowers These will dry of .

themselves in two or three h o u r e s in a hot sunny day tho u gh -

—
,

they lie not in the Sunne Th e Qn een s Clos et Open ed by .

’

W M Cook to Q ueen Henrietta Maria 1 6 5 5

. .
, , .

CO NS E RVE OF B ORAGE F LO WE RS AFTE R THE I TALI AN

MA N NE R — Takeof fresh B orage flowers four ounces fine ,

Sugar twelve ounces beat them well together in a stone

—
,

Mortar an d keep them in a vessel well gla ze d I bi d

'

.
,

B RAMB LE
Th e n s ai d a ll th e tr e e s un ot
t h e b r am b l e Co m e h o u t
g
,

a n d r ei n ov er u s An d th e b r am b l e s a i d u n o t h e r e e s t t
g
,

t t t
I f i n ru h y e a n o in m e Ki n o v e r y o u , h e n co m e an d pu t t
y ou r rus t t
i n m y s h a d o w ; a n d i f n o t l e t fir e c o m e o u t o f
t h e b r a m b l e a n d d e v o u r t h e Ce d a rs o f L e b a n o n
J g
.
,

u d e s ix 1 4 . .

According to tradition the bramble was the burning bush ,

in which Jehovah appeared to Moses A good many curious .

superstitions cling to the bramble and one still hears of ,

cases of the survival of the Old custom Of passing sickly

children n ine times over and under a blackberry stem ,

root ed at both ends and this must always be done with the
,

sun i e from e ast to west Throughout the British Isles

, . . .

there is a widespread belief amongst the old peasantry that

on Michaelmas day the Devil curses all the blackberry
bus hes and that is wh y the fruit is S O u nwholesome in the
,

late au tu mn In Cornwall b r amble leaves m oistened with

.
44 A GA R DE N OF HE R BS

spring water are still used for burns and when the leaves ,

are applied this ch arm is said

Th e r e cam e t h r e e A n g e l s o u t o f t h e E as t
On e b r o u g h t fir e a n d tw o b r o u gh t f r os t ;
,

O u t fir e a n d i n f r o s t ;
I n t h e n am e o f t h e F a th er S o n a n d H o l y G h o s t, , .

—
B LACKB E RR Y W I NE Bruise the berries and to every ,

gallon of fruit add a quart of boiling water Let the mixture .

stand for twenty four hours stirring it o ccasionally ; then

-
,

strain o ff the liquid adding to every gallon a couple of

,

pounds of refined sugar and keep it in a cask tightly corked

,

until the following Oc tober when it will be ripe and rich , .

Dr Fe m i c Her ba l S i mpl es 1 8 97
.
, , .

B ROOM
I f y ou s w e e p t h e h o u s e w i th b l o s s o m e d b r o o m i n Ma y
Y o u ar e s ure to s w e ep th e h e a d o f t h e h o u s e a wa
”
y .

Ol d S u s s ex P r over b .

Broom has always been the emblem of humility On his .

wedding day St Louis of France established the order of

, .

Knighthood called l Or d r e d u Genest Th e knights of this

’
.

order wore a chain of golden broom flowers and white

enamelled fl e ur de lis placed alternately and from this chain
- -
,

hung a cross on which was inscribed Deus e xalt at h u m i l es , .

Only one hundred knights belonged to it at a time ; they

formed the King s bodyguard and in later days it was an
’

order Richard II was proud to wear .

— ”
—
Broom the gen of the Celts has from time i m m em o
rial been the badge O f Brittany but it is more popularly ,

associated with th e Plantagenets of Anj ou It is said that .

Fulk the founder of the house went on a pilgrimage to

, ,

Jerusalem to atone for having murdered his brother and ,

after hav ing been scourged with broom he took the plant
for his crest and surname It was first used o fficially on.

the Great Seal of Ri chard I According to the old herbalists

.

broom cured many disorders and Gerard tells us That ,

worthy Prince of famous memo ry Henry VIII of England ,

.
,

was wont to drink the distilled water of Bro om fl ower s -

 OF SU ND RY HE RBS 45

against surfeits and diseases thereof arising Pi ckled .

broom buds were an ordinary ingredient in salads in Tudor

-

and Stewart days .

T0 P I C K LE B R OOM B U D S A N D - —
P O D S Make a strong
pickle of White Wine Vinegar and S al t able to bear an Egg
, .

Stir very well till the S al t be quite dissolved clearing o ff ,

the Dregs and Scum Th e n ext day pour it from the Bottom
.
,

and having r u bbe d th e Buds dry pot them up in a Pickle

'

Glass which should be frequently shaken till they sink

,

under it and keep it well stopt and covered Thus may

, .

—
you pickle any other Buds John Eve lyn A cetar i a 1 6 99
.
, , .

BUGLOSS
Th e old herbalists apply the name bugloss with the utmo s t
impartiality to borage and anchusa It is interesting to .

remember that probably the most ancient Of all the paints

for the face was made from the root of anch u sa and in ,

Pliny s day it was commo nly used for dyeing In the

’
.

fifteenth centu ry anchusa leaves were used as pot herbs -

.

—
S Y R U P O F THE J U Y CE OF A NC HU S A I n s i xe po und of the .

j y
u c e of buglosse boyle a pound
, of the flowers then strain ,

them and cla r ifie them ; boyle with the decoction four
pound of sugar and the Syrup co m m eth to twopence the
"

—
,

ounce Th e Ch a r i ta ble P hy s i ti an by Philbert Guibert , ,

Ph y s it i a n Regent in Paris 1 6 3 9
, , .

B U RNET
L I n s a l at a é buon b e ll a é l a pi m pi n e l l a
’
n on ne o v e n on .

I ta l i a n

In Hungary h um et is called Ch ab a ir j e ( Chaba s Salve ) ’

be cause the virtues of this plant were first di scovered by

King Chaba after the terrible battle he fought with his
brother He is sa id to h a v e cu r ed the wounds of
. of
’
his soldiers with the juice of burnet In I r o e Grego s book . ,

which professes to be a translation of a book written by

King Solomon magician s are advised to anoint their
,
4 6 A GA R DE N OF HE R BS

swords with the blood of a mole an d the j uice of b urnet

leaves Burnet has a pleasant cucumber like flavour and
.
-
,

recently a gardening paper advocated that it should be

revived as a salad herb It does not take kindly to cultiva
.

tion for it loves a very poor soil and chalky uplands But
, .

in districts where it grows plentifully there is no reason

why it should not be again used both in sal ads and as a
pot herb Only the young tops and leaves should be picked
-
. .

B U RNE T is a perennial putting out new pennate leaves ,

every year Sow the seeds in S hallow drills a foot apart

. .

It is best to sow them as soon as ripe in the autumn or ,

propagate by division of the roots in the spring Ch oo se a .

dry sunny position for the bed and if the soil is deficient
, ,

in lime fork in a little before sowing Th e leaves should

, .

be ou t when four inches long as a fresh crop will fo l low , .

B u m et will flourish for years in the same spot .

CAMOMI LE
Ha v e a m i n d th o u m a y t h e n ,
Wh a t th o u m e n t i o n e d s t
W h a t th o u a c c o m pl i s h e d s t
A t Al d e r f o r d
fly g
.

t
Th a n ev e r fo r i n il l
t y
F a al l fe l l m an
S i n c e w e t o h im m a y t h en
F or m e d i cm e m i e d u p x .

S a xon M S H er ba l .
( H a r l e i a n ) , 15 85 .

To c o m fo r t t h e b r a i n e s m ol t o c am o m i ll c ate s a e g
y g y
,

w a s h m e as u r a b l s l e e p r e as o n a b l y d e l i h t t o h e a r e m e l od
g g —
, ,
”
an d s i n i n R a m s L i ttle D od oen 1 6 0 6
’
.
, .

All pa r ts of th i s e xc e ll en t pl a n t ar e fu ll o f v i r t u e
J
.

S ir o h n H ill , 1 77 2 .

It is a pity we have so entirely gi v en u p the beauti ful old

‘

”
Saxon name Ma y th en or m a egth e for camomile
”
, ,

(which is derived from a Greek word meaning earth

apples Th e Spaniards call it manzilla (little apple ) and ,

this is also the name of one of their light wines which i s

flavoured with camomile One now rarely sees the old .

fashioned camomile of which Falstaff said the more it is ,

 OF SUND R Y HE R BS 47

trodden on the faster it grows but formerly the sea ts in

,

the herbers and those hollowed out of the bank round the
herb garden were frequently covered with camomile and ,

paths were made of it instead of turf in order to enj oy the

pleasant refreshing scent when one walked on it Evelyn .

tells us that in October it wil l now be good to Beat R oll

an d Mow carpet walks and camomile for now the ground ,

is supple and it will even all inequalities Modern scientific .

gardeners weed out camo m ile ruthlessly be cause it takes

so much goodness out of the ground ; but old fashioned -

gardeners say it is the best of all plant do ctors an d that ,

it will revive any sickly plant near which it is planted One .

of the best kno wn French t i s sa n e s is made of dried camomile

flowers and perhaps when our herbal knowledge equals
,

that on the other side of the Channel we shall rate camomile ,

at its proper value .

To M AKE O Y LE OF CAM OM I LE —Take oyl e a pint and a

halfe an d three ounces of camomile flowers d r y ed one day
,

after they be gathered Then put the oyle and the flowers
.

in a glasse a n d stop the mouth close and s e t it into the

Sun by the space of forty days —Th e Good Hou s ewife s ’

Ha n d book , 15 88 .

CA M OM I LE TE A —Pour one pint of boiling water on an

ounce of the dried flowers When it has stood for ten
.

minutes strain and sweeten with su gar or honey .

CA R AWAY
Co m e co u s i n S i l e n c e 1 w e wi l l e at a i
p pp i n o f l as ty
e a r
’
s
y
,

gr a ffi n g w i th a d i s h o f c a r r a w a s an d t
h en t o b e d I
H en r y I V .

Caraway is not a native of our islands but it is frequently ,

found gro n in waste places in the south of England .

Formerly bread Cheese and soup were frequently flavoured

,

with the see ds ; and the young roots which are excellent , ,

were eaten like parsnips Can on E lla co mb e s ays that little

.
4 8 A GA RDE N OF HE RB S
saucerful s of caraway s eeds were still served in his day
with roast apples at some of the London livery dinners .

CARA WAY is a hardy biennial

and is best sown in the early ,

autumn though it may also be sown in March or April

, .

CHE RVI L
k
S we e t Ch e r v il o r S w e e t Cis i s s o l i e i n t as t e u n to An i s
s e e d e th a t i t m u c h d e l i gh t e t h t h e t as t e a m o n g
o th er h e r bs
i n a s al l e t
.
” —
J k
o h n P a r i n s o n P a r a di s i 1 6 2 9
, , .

Th e Romans taught us to use this herb so it is a very ,

old inhabitant of the herb garden ; and a fift een th century -

MS of Cookery recipes lists it as one of the necessary pl ants

.

to grow for use in the kit chen For some unknown reason .

it has almost disappeared from English gardens though it ,

is common enough in France Evel yn in his A ceta r i a says .

chervil S hould never be wantin g in sallets as long as they

may be had being exceedingly wholesome and cheerin g
,

the spirits He adds that

. the root s boiled and eaten
”
cold are much commended for aged persons Chervil was .

also largely used for fl a v o u r in g s au c es a n d tarts and also for '

garnishing Th e bulbous rooted chervil is rarely seen on

.
-

English tables but it is extensively used on the Continent

, .

Th e roots should be carefully washed but neve r scraped ,

and they take a long time cooking Parboiled roots of .

chervil fried in butter are excellent ; formerly they were

always eaten during a time of plague .

Parkinson says Common chervil is much used of the

,

French and Dutch peo ple to bee boiled or stewed in a pipkin

either by itsel f or with other herbs whereof they make a ,

Loblolly and so ea t e it S wee te Chervil gathered while it

.

is young and put among other herbs for a sallet addeth a

marvell ous good relish to all the rest .

likes a light well drained soil and plenty of

CHE RV I L ,
-
,

Chalk Sow the seeds from February to August for succes

.

sion i n drills eight inches apart and thin the seedlings to ,

si x inches apart Th e leaves are ready to be used when a

.

few inche s high .

5 0 A GA R DE N OF HE RBS

CHI C KWE E D TE A —One quart of boiling water poured on

.

to two large handfuls of the plant .

CLA R Y
A fe w cooks now pu t young Clary tops in soups but it ,

is aston ishing how much the young leaves and tops were
used formerly as a pot herb Evelyn tells us that when -
.

tender it is a good addition to sal ads the flowers being ,

strewn on sal ads the leaves ( chopped ) used in Omelets ; and

,

the tender leaves made up with cream were fri ed in

, ,

butter and then eaten with sugar flavo ured with Orange or
L emon j uice It was an ingredient in perfumes in a le and
.
,

beer an d nearly a ll the home made wines and metheglins -

,

and Clary wine was famed for its narcotic properties Hogg .

in his Vegeta ble K i n gd om an d i ts P r odu cts says it was used

in Austria in fruit j el lies to which it gave a flavour of ,

pineapple .

W
CLA R Y I NE
g a l—Ten
l o n s o f water thirteen pounds of
“

sugar to the gallon and the whites of S ixteen eggs wel l beat
, .

Boil it S lowly one ho u r and skim it well Then put it into .

a tub till it is almost cold Take a pint of Clary flowers .

with the small leaves and stalks put them into a barrel ,

with a pint of a l e yeast then put in your liquo r and stir it

,

twice a day till it has done working Make it up close and

—
.

keep it four months and then bottle it o t John Murrell

,
f ,

A D eli ghtf u l D a i ly E xer ci s e f or Ladi es an d Gen tl em en ,

1 62 1 .

To M K
A E CLAR —
Y W I NE Take twelve pounds of Malaga
after they have been pi ck d small and ch o p d put
R aisi n s ,
’ ’

them into a Vessel a quart of Water to each pound Let

, .

them stand to steep for ten or twelve Days being kept c lose ,

covered all the while stirring them twice every Day ; after
,

wards strain i t o ff and put it up in a Cask adding a

, ,

quarter of a Peck of the Tops of Clary when it is in Blossom ; ,

then stop it up close for six weeks and afterwards you may ,

bottle it Off and it will be fit to drink in two or three

,
 OF S U ND R Y HE R BS 1

Months It will have a great Settlement therefore it

S hould be t a p d pretty high or dra wn o ff by Plug s —From
.
,
’

Th e R ecei pt B ook of Cha r l es Ca r ter Cook to the Duke of ,

Argyll 1 7 3 2 , .

CLAR F R I TTE R S — Make a good sti ff batter with half a

Y .

pint of new mi lk four eggs and flour ; grate i n a little

, ,

lemon peel and some nutmeg put in two ounces of powder

-
,

sugar and a small gl ass of bra n dy ; th en take a dozen Clary

,

leaves cut away the stalks put th em into batter taking

, , ,

care that th ey have plenty of it on both S ides ; have a pan

of boiling hog s lard put them in one by one and fry them
’
-
, ,

qu ick on both sides of a light brown ; then take them o ut ,

l a y them on a sieve to drain a moment put them i n a dish , ,

strew powder sugar over them and glaze them with a hot ,

.
—
iron Note You may dress Comfrey or Mulberry leaves
.

—
the same way From Th e R ecei pt B ook of Ri ch a r d B r i ggs
.
,

many years Cook at the Globe Tavern Fleet Street the , ,

White Hart Tavern Ho lb o m and at the Temple Co ffee

'

, ,

House 1 7 88, .

CO LTSFOO T
Bl k h ac ea th s ar e p a cth e d w i th t
c o l s foo t -
g ol d z
bi ar r e .

W . D OWS I N G .

Herbalists are never weary of telling us that when Nature

gives any herb in abundance it is a sure S ign that it is
po ssessed of great virtue Nettles Yarrow Plantai n .
, ,

Dan d elion Coltsfoot and a hundred other S O called weeds

, ,
-

all testify to the truth of this Even in the heart of London .

it would be di ffi cult to find any waste land without Coltsfoot

growing on it From the days of Hippo crates a deco ction
.

of Coltsfoot has been held a sovereign remedy for all chest

troubles and in Olden days the apothecaries in Paris used
,
-

to paint a coltsfoot flower on their door posts a silent -

,

testimony to their opinion of the value of the plant Sir .

John Hill after dilating on the value of coltsfoot tea for

,

colds and coughs says the patient sho uld also have so m e ,

of the leaves dried and ou t small and smoke them as tobacco .

52 A GA R DE N O F HE R BS

This is an old practice and experience shows it ri ght and ,

excellent then he adds Here let us stop a moment ,

and adore the goodness of Divine Providence which makes

the best thin gs the most common Th e S egr o m s which can .

do onl y mischief are found in but a few places this so fu ll

of excellence grows at our doors and we tread it everywhere ,
”
under our feet .

Formerly the Bavarian peasants made garlands of Colt s

foot flo wers on Easter Day and threw it into the fire but ,

the origin of this is unknown In the Highlands there are .

still women wh o stuff their pillows with the silky Coltsfoot

down and it makes the sof test pillows imaginabl e In
, .

other parts of Scotland there is a curious beli ef that where

Coltsfoot grows abundant l y it indicates the presence of
coal and they also say that when Coltsfoot down flies away
,

when there is no wind it is a sure S ign of coming rain .

S YR U P OF CO LTS FOOT Make three infusions o n e after .

-
,

another of colts foot each time halfe a pound in a q uart

,
-
,

of water ; the l ast infusion being strained cl ar ifie it and ,

p ut it i n to a pound and a halfe of good Sugar and boil it ,

to the height of a Syrup : the which Syrup a m o u n teth to

- —
penny half penny the ounce Th e Ch ar i ta bl e P hy s i ti an by ,

Philbert Guibert Ph y s iti an Regent in Paris 1 6 3 9

, , .

CO LTS F OOT TE A —Pour a quart of boiling water on two

handfuls of the leaves .

CO R IA NDE R
An d t h e h o u s e o f I s r a e l c a ll e d t h e n a m e th e r eo f Man n a
k
a n d i t w as l i e Co r i a n d e r s e e d w hi t e ; a n d t h e t as t e O f i t
y —x
,

k
w a s l i e w a f er s m a d e wi t h h o n e
”
E od us xvi 3 1 . . .

Co r i an d e r t a e n o u t k o f s e as o n do h t tr o u b l e am an n s
’

wi tt w i t h r e at g
e o par d j y of m a d n es s .
-
Wi l l i am Tu rn er ,

A N ewe H er ba it 1 5 5 1 , .

Coriander Mallows Chervil and Dil l love to grow near ‘

, ,

each other is told us by nearly all the old herbalists and as

, ,

they flower about the same time they look very well ,

t ogether Co riander was one of the bitter h er b s or d a i n ed

.
 OF S UND RY HE R BS 53

to be eaten at the Passover ; and in Egypt where it wa s ,

largely cultivated th e seeds were bruised to mix with bread

, .

All Eastern nations esteem it highly but apart from drugs , ,

we only use it now in liqueurs a n d for the little Sugar ball s

beloved by children ; but formerly it was commonly grown
in herb gardens and is one of the plants described in the
—
,

oldest original English treatise on gardenin g Th e F eate oi

Ga r d en i n g by Mayster Jon Gardener 1 440
, Coriander seed , .

has the delightful quality of becoming more fragrant the

longer it is kept Th e foliage of the plant has an almost
.

o ffensively strong Odour .

CO R I AN D E R is a hard y annual . Sow the seeds at the end

of March .

CO R I AN DE R —
W ATE R Take a handful of Coriander seed s ,

break them and put them into about a q uart of water and ,

S O let it stan d pu t in a qu arter of a po und of sugar and

, ,

when your sugar is melted and the water well taken the
t a ste of the seeds then strain it out through a cl oa th and
,

drink it at yo u r pleasure You may do the same with

—
.

aniseeds A P erfect S ch ool of I n s tr u cti on for th e Ofii cer s of

.

th e M on th by Giles R ose one of the Master Cooks to

, ,

Charles II 1 6 8 2 , .

COWS LIP
As b l a k e ( y e l l o w) as a p a i gl e ( c o ws li p ) .

E a s t A n gl i a n P r over b .

Wh e r e th e b e e s u c s , h er e s u c I ; k t k
I n t h e c o ws l i p s b e l l I l i e :
’

Th er e I c o u c h w h e n o w l s d o c r y .

Th e Tempes t A c t V , .
,
S ce n e i .

Co ws l i ps wan th a t h a n g t h e pe n s i v eh ea d .

Lyci d a s , Ca n to 1 39 .

What endless us es ou r ancestors made of cowslips I They

'

used the youn g leaves and flowers in salads and for pot
herbs and made co wslip creams puddings tarts and wines
, , , .

They candi ed and pic kle d th e flowers made cowslip tea and ,
54 A GA R DE N O F HE R BS

syru p and one of the most famous complexion washes

, wa s
made of co wslips and cucu mbers .

CO WS LI P CRE A M .
-Take
the Cowslips when they are
green and in Bl ossom a n d bru ise them in a mortar an d to
, ,

a good handful or two so done put a quart of Cream and boil

it up gently with them Put in a blade of Mace season.
,

with fine sugar and Orange Flower water Strain it and -

.

draw i t up with the Yol ks of t wo or three Eggs and clip o ff ,

the tops of a handful of the Flowers and draw up with it

—
and dish as you pleas e From Th e Recei pt B ook of J os eph
Cooper Cook to Charl es I 1 6 5 4
, , .

A NOTHE R WAY —Take two ounces of Syrup of Cowslips

.

and boil up in your Cream and season it as before Thicken .

it with the Yolks of three or four Eggs and put in two ounces ,

of can d y d Cowslips when you draw it up Dish it in

’
.

Basons an d Glasses and strew over some can d y d cowslips

’
.
,

-
I bi d .

To KE E P CO W S I
L S FO
P R S ALAr E s —
Take
a quart of White .

Wine Vinegar and halfe a quarter of a pound of fine beaten

,

Sugar and mix them together then take your Cows l ips
, , ,

pull them out of the po d d s and cut o ff the green Knobs at

,

the lower end put them into the pot or glasse wh erein you
,

mind to keep them and well shaking the Vinegar and Sugar
,

together in the glasse wherein they were before powre it ,

upon the Cowslips and so stirring them morning and evening

,

to make them settle for three weeks keep them for your
u s e —A B ook of F r u i ts a n d F l ower s 1 6 5 3
,

.
,

T0 CO N S E RV E CO WS LI P S —Gather
your flowers in the .

midst of the d a y when all the dew is o ff then cut o ff all the ,

white leaving none but the yellow b lo s s o m e so picked and

,

cut before they wither weigh out ten ounces taking to

, , ,

every ten ounces of them or greater proportion if you , ,

please eight ounces of the best refined Sugar in fine po wder

, , ,

put the Sugar into a pan and candy it with as little water
, ,

as y ou can then taking it o ff the fire put in your Flowers b y

, ,
 OF S UND R Y HE R BS 5

little and little never ceasing to stir them t ill they be dry
, ,

and enough ; then put them into glasses or ga lly po t s , ,

and keep them dry for your use These are rather Candied
—
.

then Conserved Cowslip s I bi d .

S Y R U P E OF COW S LI P S — Instead of running water you

must take distilled water of Cowslips put thereto your ,

Cowslip flowers Clean picked and the green knobs in the ,

bottome cut off and therewith boyle up a S y r u pe It is

, .

good against the Fr en s ie comforting and staying the head

,

in all hot Agues etc It is good against the P a ls i e and

, .
,

pro cures a Sick Patient to sleep ; it must be taken in

Almond milk or some other warm thi g I bi d
-
, n — .

P I C K LE D Co ws LI P s — Pickt very clean ; to each Pound of

. .

Flo wers allow about one pound of Loaf Sugar and one pint
of White Wine Vinegar which boil to a Syrup and cover
it scalding h o t —John Evelyn A cetar i a 1 6 99
, ,

, ,
.

To CA ND Y CO WS LI P S
F LOWE RS O R G RE E NS I N
OR A NY

B U NC HE s —
. Steep your gum arabic in Water wet the flowers ,

with it and S hake them in a cl oth that they may be dry ;

then dip them in fine sifted Sugar and hang them on a ,

String tied across a chimney that has a Fire in it ; they

must hang two or three days till the Flowers are quite
dr y — From Th e Recei pt B ook of M r s M a r y E al es Con fe c .
,

f l o u er to Q ueen Anne 1 7 1 9 , .

To M AKE A W CO the Blossoms of a

S LI P TART .
—
Take
Gallon of Cowslips mince them exceeding small and beat
, ,

them i n a Mortar ; put to them a Handful or two of grated

Naples B i s k et and about a Pin t and a half of Cream boil
, ,

them a little over the Fire then take them off and beat , ,

them in eight Eggs with a little Cream ; if it does not thicken ,

put it over again til l it does ; take heed that it do n ot

curdle Season it with Sugar Rose water and a little Salt ;
.
,
-
,

bake it in a Dish or little open Tartest It is best to let

—
.

your Cream be cold befo r e you stir in the Eggs Fro m

5 6 A GA RDE N OF HE R BS

Th e Recei pt B ook of P a tr i ck La m b Head Co ok successively t o ,

Charles II James II Wi lliam and Ma ry and Anne 1 7 1 6

, , , , .

W I NE —Nine pints of water two pou nds of

COW S LI P ,

Sugar Boil and skim well Pour it hot on one quart of

. .

picked cowslips Next day strain and add two spoonfuls

.

of yeast Let it stand in an earthen pan a fortnight to

.

w ork covered close and stirred three times a day for th e

,

first three days Then drain into bott les and stop it tigh t
. .

It will keep for a year —E G Hayden Tr a vels r ou n d ou r . . .

,

Vi ll age .

P U D D I NG —
COW S LI P Half a peck of co wslips pick o ff
.
,

the fl o wers and chop fine with i lb Naples B is k et grated .

,

1
1
2 p
.
ints n e w m ilk or cream Boi l them a l l toget h er then .
,

take them o ff the fire Beat up the yolks of eight and the .

whites of four eggs in a little cream and a spoonful of rose

water Sweeten to taste Stir over a slow fire till it is
. .

thick and then set it away to c ool La y a pu ff paste round

,
.

the edge of the dish pour in the pudding and bake it half
, ,

an hour When ready sprinkle fine powdered sugar and

.

—
serve h ot I bid .

WCO S YR U —Three pounds of the fresh blossoms

S LI P P .

infused in five pints of boi ling water and then simmered

—
,

with sugar to a syru p Dr Fernie Her bal S i mples 1 8 9 7 .

, , .

DAISY
Shut n o t s o s oo n ; t h e d u l l e
-
y ed n i gh t
H as n o t as
y t
e b e gu n n e
k
To m a e a s e i s u r e o n t h e l i h t
”
g ,

Or t o s e a l e u p t h e S u n .

H er r i c k ,
To D a i s i es .

Th e
Gaelic poet Ossian tells us how daisies were first
, ,

sown Wh en Malvina was weeping besi de Fingal s tomb

.
’

for her infant son the maids of Morven comforted h er by

,

tel ling her they h a d seen the baby boy showering many
beautiful flowers from heaven on to th e earth and amongst ,

th em the daisy Sir John Hill says

. Th e daisy has great ,

but neglect ed virtues worthy o f a s eri ous att ention Their .

5 8 A GA R DEN OF HE R BS

sugar 1 oz of hops % 1b brown ginger and suffi cient orange

, .
,
.
,

a n d lemon peel to taste Slice eighteen Sevi lle oranges and .

t welve lemons and put to them 1 3 % l b s su gar as above

, . .

Pour over them and bo iling beyond when blood warm add
, ,
’
a little brewer s yeast Strain again before putting into a .

barrel Th e wi ne should be allowed to work t h ree or

. .

four days before being bunged tight Bottle in S i x months

—
. .

Like a sharp liqueur E G Hayden Tr a vels r ou n d ou r . . .

,

Vi ll age .

DI LL
I am w t t ti m e
’

a l vva y s p l e as e d i h t h a p a r t i c u l a r of th e
ye ar wh i c h i s p r O p e r f o r t h e pi c l i n k g of d ill a n d cu c um ber s .
”

-
Ad d i s o n i n Th e S pecta tor .

For hundreds of years Dill was always grown in English

herb gardens and used as a pot herb Both in appearance -
.

and taste dill is very like fennel but the taste is more pungent , .

Th e name di ll is supposed to be derived from the Saxo n

d i ll an —to lull because a decoction was made from the
,

seeds to soothe babies to S leep It is one of the herbs used .

by magicians in their spells and also in charms against ,

witchcraft .

D I LL seed can be sown any time in March or April or in

the autumn Sow in dri lls six inches apart
. .

ToP I CKLE U UM B D C C E RS I N I LL —Gather the tops of the

ripest Dill and cover the bottome of the vessel and lay a
, ,

layer of Cucumbers and another of Dill till you have filled , ,

the vessel within a handful of the top then take as much ,

water as you think will fill the vessel and mix it with Salt , ,

and a Quarter of a Pound of a ll o m to a gallon of water an d ,

poure it on them and presse them down with a stone on ,

them and keep them covered close

,
.

For that use I think the water will be best b oy l d and ’

cold whi ch will keep longer sweet or if you like not this
, ,

pickle doe it with Water Salt and White Wine Vi n egar or ,

( if you please ) pour the Water a n d Salt on them scalding

 OF S U ND R Y HE R BS 59

hot which will make th em r e ad y to u se

,
—
the sooner From .

Th e Recei pt B ook of j os eph Cooper Cook to Charles I 1 6 40 , , .

—
D I LL AN D CO LLY F LOW E R P I CKLE Boil the Colly -
.

fl o wer s ti ll they fall in Pieces ; then with some of the Stalk

and worst of the Flower boil it in a part of the Liquor till ,

pretty strong Then being taken off strain it ; and when

.
,

settled clean it from the Bottom Then with Dill gross

, .
,

pepper a pretty quantity of Salt when cold add as much

, ,

vinegar as will make it sharp and pour al l upon the Colly

fl o wer —
,

John Evelyn A ceta r i a 1 6 99

.
, , .

E LDE R
Th e c om m o n fo r m er l
pe o p a h er e d t h e Le a v e s o f
l e yg t
t
E l d e r u po n t h e l as d a y o f A pr i l l w hi c h t o d i s a ppo i n t h e , t
c h a r m es o f Wi c h e s t t
h e y h ad a ffi e d t o h e i r D o o r e s a n d x t
W i n d o w es I d o e n o t d e s i r e a n y t o pi n h ei r F a i h s u po n
. t t
t t t
h e s e r e po r s b u t o n l y l e t h e m n o w h e r e a r e s u c h wh i c h k t
y
,

h
t e m a y b e l i e v e a s h e p l e a s et-
W i ll i am Co l e s Th e A r t .

of i m pl i n g 1 6 5 6 , .

However tiny the herb garden there sho u ld be at least ,

one Elder in it for all herbs are under the protection of

,

the spirit of the Elder She is the Elder Mother or elder .

,

woman who never fails to avenge any injury done to the

,

tree and when elder is picked or cut S h e must first be asked ,

to gi ve her per mission Lady Elder gi ve me some of thy

.
,

wood and the n wi l l I als o give thee some of mine when it

,
”
grows in the forest Th e Elder plays a conspicuous part
.

in all the mythology and fol k lore of the Sc andi navian

nations and every child loves Hans Andersen s beautiful
,
’

story of Mother Elder Th e Russian peasants say that .

the S pirit of the elder is full of compassion for human beings ,

and dri ves away all evil spirits from them and gives long ,

life also Th e Danes believe it is the height of ill luck to

.
-

have furniture made of ol d er or to board the floors with its ,

wood and if a cradl e is made of the wood the Elder Mother

, ,

will come and pull the child out of it Th e pith of the tree .

has wonderful powers for if ou t in round flat S hapes and, , , ,

dipped in oil lighted and then put to float in a glass of

, ,

water its light on Chri s t m as Eve wi ll reveal to the owner

,
60 A GA R DE N OF HE RBS
all the witches and sorcerers in the neighbourhood In the .

Tyr ol they trim an elder bush into the form of a cross and ,

plant it on a newly made grave If it blooms this is a .

’
S ign that the dead person s s oul I s i n Paradise Our English .

peasantry had formerly a great veneration for el der and ,

many still testify to its wo nderful healing properties If .

you plant an elder in your herb garden you must be sure to ,

stand under it at midnight on Midsummer Eve and then ,

'

you will see the King of the El ves and all his train go by .

To TA K W Y E A F RE C K A F — Wash your
THE LE S I N TH E A CE

face in the wane of the Moone with a sponge morni ng and

, , ,

evening with the distilled water of Elder leaves letting the

,
-
,

same dry into the s kin n e Your water must be distilled .

in May This from a Traveller wh o hath cured hi m s el fe

.
,

thereb y Sir Hugh Platt D eli ghts f or L a di es 1 6 5 9

-
, ,
.

TH E L A D Y H RNB URGH S S YRU P OF ELD

T O E R S — Take
’
.

E l d er b er n es when th ey are red bruise them in a stone Mortar , ,

strain the j u y ce and boyl it to a Consumption of almost

,

half ekum it very clear take it off the fir e wh il es t it is hot

, , ,

put in Sugar to the thickness of a Syr up ; put it no more

on the fire when it is cold put it into glasses not fill ing them
, ,

to the top for it will work like Been — Th e Qu een s Clos et

,
’

Open ed by W M Cook to Q ueen Henrietta Maria 1 6 5 5

,
. .
, , .

To P I C K LE E LD E R B U D s — Put the Buds into Vinegar .

,

s eas o n d with Salt

’
whole pepper large mace lemon peel
, , ,
-

cut Sm all let them have two or three wal m s over the Fire ;
,

then take them out and let the Buds and Pickle both cool
then put the Buds into your Pot and cover the mwith th e
,

—
Pickl e From Th e Recei pt B ook of j oh n N ott Cook to the ,

Duke of Bolton 1 7 2 3 , .

ToP I CKLE E LD E R TOP S -Break the Tops of young .

Sprouts of Elder about the middle of April S i x inches long

, , ,

let them have half a do ze n walm s in boi ling Water then ,

drain them ; make a pickle of wine water salt and brui sed , ,

pepper put the m int o the Pickle and st 0p the m u p c lose

, , .

bi d .
 OF S U ND R Y HE R B S 61

E LD E R V —Put d r y ed Elder flowers into Stone

I N E G AR .

or double Glass Bottles fill them up with good Wine Vinegar

, ,

and set them up in the Sun or by the Fire till their Virtue is
—
extracted I bi d .

E LD E R F LOWE R F RI TTE RS Gather your Bunches of .

-

Elder Flowers just as they are beginning to O pen for that

, ,

is the time O f their Perfection they have just then a very ,

fine Smell and a spirited Taste but afterwards they grow ,

dead and faint ; we complain of these Flowers having a

sickly Smell but this is only when they are decaying when
, ,

fresh and just open they have the same Flavour but it is ,

S pirited and just the contrary of what it is afterwards Th e .

Elder Flo wers being thus chosen break each Bunch into ,

four regular Parts lay these carefully in a Soup Dish ; break

,

in a Stick of Cinnamon po ur to them a Wine Glass of

,

Brandy ; and when this has stood a Minute or two add ,

half a Pint of Sack stir the Flowers about in the Liquor

, ,

cover them up an d l et them Soak about an Hour in covering

, ,

and stirring them about at Times to see how the y are kept ,

moist ; put a Handful of the finest Flour into a Stew pan -

,

add the Yolks of four Eggs beaten and afterwards their ,

Whites beat up quite to a Foam ; add some White Wine

and a little Salt and put in the Whites of the Eggs last
,

Let all this be very perfectly and thoroughly mixed ; when

the Batter is thus made set on a Q uantity of Hog s Lard
,
’

—
in a Stew pan when it is very hot fry the Fritters the
, , ,

Method is this Th e Elder Flowers are to be taken out of

their Liquor and put into the Batter and the Qu antity for
, ,

each Fritter is one of the Bunches of Elder with as much ,

Batter as agreeably covers it and hangs well about it , .

While they are frying heat the Dish they are to be sent
,

up in rub a Lemon upon it not cut and lay in the Fritters

, , ,

as they come out of the Pan strew a little of the fine s t ,

Orange we Water over them an d s erve the m u p I bi d

-
fl o r — , . .

—
E LD E R WI NE To every Gallon of Water a peck of
berri es To every Gal lon of Juice three po unds of Sugar
.
,
62 A GA RDE N OF HE R BS
half of Ground Ginger six cloves and one po und of raisins
, , .

A quarter of a pint of brandy to every gallon of wine and ,

three or four tablespoons of brewer s yeast to every nine ’

gallons of wine .

Pour boiling water on the berries and let them stand

covered for twenty four hours Then strain the whole
-
.

through a bag or sieve breaking the berries to extract the

,

juice Measure the liquid and to every gallon allow three

.
,

pounds of sugar Boil the juice with the sugar and other
.

ingredients for one hour s k imming the whol e time Let , .

it strain until lukewarm Then pour into a clean dry cask

.

with the propo rtion of yeast as above Let it ferment for .

a fortnight add the brandy Bung up the cask and let

, .
,

the wine remain thus six months before bottling E G— . .

H ayden Tr a vel s r ou n d ou r V i llage

, .

E LD E R —
LE A F TE A
Simmer S i x or eight leaves of elder
.

which have been torn in shreds for ten minutes in half a

pint of water and take a cup every morning fasting
, .

R OB OF E — Boil a dessert spoon of the berries with

LD E R

sugar or honey and stir into a glass of water .

E LD E R B LOS S O M AN D P E P P E RM I NT TE A —
P0ur one and a .

half pints of boiling water on two handfuls of the Elder

blossom and peppermint .

E LE CAMPANE
E x c e ll e n t h e r b s h a d o u r fat h er s o f o l d
E xc e ll e n t h er b s t o e a s e o u r p a i n
x
Al e a n d er a n d Ma r i o l d g
y
,

E e b r i gh t O r r i s a n d E l e cam pa n e
, ,

k
B as i l R o c e t V a l er i a n R u e
g y
, , , ,

( Al m o s t S i n gi n t h e m s e l v e s t h e r u n )
y
,

V e r v a i n D i tt a n
, Cal l m e t o o u,
- -

Co ws l i p M e l il o t R o s e o f t h e u n
y gg g
.
, ,

A n t hi n r e e n th a t r e w o u t o f t h e m o ul d
x
Was a n e c e ll e n t h er b t o o u r fa th e r s o f o l d
P
.

R U D A R D K I LI N G Y .

When Paris carried o ff Helen of Troy S h e is supposed to

have had her hands full of this herb and according to another ,
 OF S U ND R Y HE R BS 63

tradition it sprang from h er tears Whatever may be its

, .

origin the plant which takes its name from her has been
,

renowned for its virtues since the earliest days They .

were grown in the Oldest herb gardens of which we have

any record and throughout the Middle Ages our ancestors
,

used it and it is only we foolish mode m s who do not include

,

this stately golden fl o wer ed plant amongst our herbs Sir

-
.

John Hi ll says of elecampane It is famous for all diseases

of the chest and strengthens the digestion Twere vain
’
.
,

to expect these virtues in the dried Root sold at dr uggists ,

’
which has been baked ground in a mill and tho cheap , ,

enough in itself yet mixe d with flour to make it cheaper

,
.

In th a t s t ate it has little either of taste smel l or virtue , ,

.

Th e garden must supply it fresh to those who would know

its real value There as it rises freely from Nature it is
.

full of these excellent q u ah ti es Th e taste and smell com .

pared with the dry will abundantly S how this before we

feel its good e ffects Th e root which is long and large
.

contains the virtues of the Plant and few have greater It ,

.

is a native of our meadow grounds and from its virtues is ,

become common in our gardens It is a robust stately plant .

, ,
”
a perennial with a firm and handsome appearance It may .

be propagated either by so wing the seed or by di vision of ,

the roots after flowering It will flourish anywhere . .

CO N S E RV E E LE CAM P ANE R OOT —Cleanse and scrape

OF

the root Cu t them into thin round slices letting them soke
.
,

in water over the hot embers for a long space and boil them ,

til l a ll the li quor be wasted Beat them in a stone mortar . ,

very fine Boyle the whole with a like wei gh t e of honey or

.

sugar two or three times over .

All other roots may in like manner be candied and made

into Conserve but far pleasanter in the eating if to the
,

confection a quantity of cinnamon be added Candy the .

—
roots in October Thomas Hill Th e Gar den er s La by r i n th
.
,
’
,

1 5 77 .

To M AKE PAS TE O F E LE CAMP ANE RO OTS AN E X CE LLE NT

R E M E D Y AG A I N S T TH E CO U GH OF THE L U N G S —Take the
,

.
64 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS

youngest Elecampane roots and bo yl them reasonably

tender ; then pith them and peel them and so beat it in ,

a mortar then take twice as much sugar as the pulp doth

,

weigh and so boyl it to a candy height with as much Rose

, ,

water as will melt it ; then put the pul p into the sugar ,

with the pap of a roasted Apple then let it boyle till it be ,

thick then drop it on a Pye plate and S O dry it in an Oven

, ,

—
till it be d r y Th e Qu een s Cl os et Open ed by W M Cook
’

, . .
,

to Queen Henrietta Maria 1 6 5 5 , .

E LE CAM P ANE TON I C —Slice the fresh root thin and to a ,

quarter of a pound of it po ur three pints of boiling water .

After stan di ng all night boil it a few minutes and when

, ,

cold strain the liquor off To a pint of this add a quarter

, .

of a pint of mountain wine and let a full wineglass of t hi s ,

be drank four times a day Sir John Hill Th e B r i ti s h .

-
,

H er bal ,
17 2
7 .

E NDIVE
In appearance at least there seems little connection
, ,

between our common garden Endive and the Succory of

the fields I s there any flower quite so ethereal a blue as
.

the latter ? If the Roumanian legend is true the wild ,

Succory was once a beautiful woman whom the S ufi wished

to marry but she refused S O he transformed her into
, .

Succory and condemned her for ever to gaze on him from

,

the moment he rose till he set There i s a curious trace of .

this legend in the widespread Old belief that Succory must

never be uprooted s ave with gold or a stag s h orn (emblems ’

of the S u n s rays ) Succory ensures constancy in love and

’
.
,

it was a frequent ingredient in the old love philtres Its .

leaves were used as a pot herb and the flowers as cordials

-
.

A S ALLE T OF W I LD G RE E N S U CCORY —
,

Take the Leaves

, .

of this Herb cut them small and put them into fair water
, , ,

and so let them lye two hours change your water three or ,

four times then swing it ou t very well and Dish it up on a

, ,

Plate and garnish it with anything eith er white or red

, ,
.

You may do the same with the White or Wi lde Succory only , ,
66 A GA RDEN OF HE RB S
Abo v e t h e l o w p l
Wh
an t s i t t o
Th e fe n n e l , wi t i ts e l l o w o wers ,
w er s
y fl
,

A n d i n a n e a rl i e r a ge th a n o u rs y
g
Was ifte d wi th t h e won d r o u s powers ,
L o s t v is i o n t o r es to r e
g g
.

I t a v e n e w s tr e n t h a n d fea r l e ss m ood
g
A n d l a d i a to rs fi
er ce and r u d e
g y
, ,

Mi n l e d i t i n th e ir d ai l fo o d ;
An d h e w h o b a ttl e d a n d s u b d u e d ,
A wr e ath o f fen n e l wo r e
g
.

Lo n f e ll o w Th e Goblet of L if e , .

We o nly u s e fennel in fennel sauce and that far too ,

seldo m for it is a most wholeso m e herb In the Middle

, .

Age s the poor folk us ed it not only to relieve the p angs of

hunger but also to make unsavoury food palatable It
, .

was also used in large quantities in the households of the

rich a nd Miss Amherst points out that from the Wardrobe
,

Accounts of Ed ward I s household it may be seen that

’

eight and a h alf po u n d s of fennel were brought for one month s

'
’

supply Finnochio is a popular Italian dish and this sweet

.
,

fennel is now beco ming more co mmon in English gardens .

Fennel has always b een renowned for its power of restori ng

’
the eyesight S i nce Pliny S days and one herbalist tells us , ,

A serpent doth so hate the ashtree that s h e will not come

nigh the S hadow of it but she delights in fennel very much
, ,

which she c ates to clear e her eyesight Formerly the .

,

seeds used to be c o ated with sugar and eaten like Co r iander

seeds Th e young stalks were peeled and used like celery
.
,

and the tender tufts and leaves were an ingredient in Salads .

FE NNEL can be raised either by sowing the seed in the

spring or by di viding the roots at any ti m e excepting when
, ,

the plant is in flower .

F OR TO MAKE S LE N D E R fi —
fennel and seethe it
ONE Take
i n water a very good quantity and wri ng o u t the juice
, ,

th ereof when it is sod and drink it first and last and it S hall
, ,

swage either him or her T Dawso n Th e Good Hou s ezvif e s

’
-
. .
,

j ewell 1 5 8,5 .

A S ALLE T O F FE NNE L —Take young Fennel abo ut a span

 OF SU ND R Y HE RBS 67

long in th e spring tye it up in bunches as you do S pa rr a

, ,

grass ; when your Skillet b o y ls put in enough to make a ,

dish ; when it is b o y l ed and drained di sh it up a s you d o ,

S pa rr a gr as s pour on Butter and Vinegar and S end it u p

,
.

Wil liam R abisha The Whol e B ody of Cooker y D i s s ected 1 6 75

, ,
.

To M K
WH I TE A E —
F E NNEL Take the branches of fennel ,

m ake them very clean and lay them a drying and when they , ,

are dry take the white of an Egg and a little orange fl o wer
,
-

water beat this well together and dip your Fennel into i t
'

, ,

and let it steep a li ttle then spri nkle fine sugar in po wder ,

over it and lay it to dry before the fire upon a sheet of

,

paper A P erfect S chool of I n s tr u cti on s f or th e Ofii cer s of th e

.
-
’

M on th by Giles Rose one of the Master Cooks to Charles II

, , ,

1 68 2 .

FE NNE L AN D G O OS E B E RRY S A U CE —Brown s Ome Butter

in a saucepan with a pinch of flour then put in a few cives ,

S hred small add a little Irish broth to moisten it seaso n

, ,

with salt and pepper ; make thes e boil then put in two or ,

thr ee sprigs of Fennel and some Goo s eberries Let all .

simmer toge ther till the Gooseberries are soft and then put
—
in some Cullis From Th e Recei pt B ook of Hen r y H owa r d
.
,

Free Cook of London 1 7 1 0 ; and Co ok to the Duke of ,

Ormond .

To P K IC LE —
F E NNE L Make water boil tie your Fennel ,

up in bunches and put them into the water ; give them h alf
a do zen Wal m s ; drain the m put them into a Pot and let , ,

your Pickle be Vinegar From Th e Recei pt B ook of j ohn .

-

N ott Cook to the Duke of Bolton 1 7 2 3

, , .

F E NNE L T —Half a pint of boiling water poured on a

EA

teaspoonful of bruised fennel seed s .

FEVE RFEW
I n th e w o rs t h e ad a c h e s th i s H er b e xc ee d s wh atev er e ls e
is k n o wn
”
.
- S ir J ohn H i ll Th e B r i ti s h H er bal
, ,
1 772 .

Feverfew is still u s ed b y country p eople i n England to

cure headaches Sir John Hill qu otes m any instances of
.
68 A GA RDE N OF HE R BS
cures effected by it and amongst them the following
, A
lady of greate worth and virtue the mother of the late Sir ,

Willi am Bowyer told me that havi n g in the younger part

,

of her li fe a very terrible and almost constant Headache ,

fixed in one small spot and raging at all times almost to ,

distraction S h e was at length cured by a m aid servant with

,
-

”
this Herb .

F E V E RFE W TE A —Pour
a quart of boiling water on two
handfuls o f the flowers and leaves .

GI LLYF LOWE RS
As th e y a r e i n b e au ty a n d s w ee tn e s s s o ar e th e in v ir tu e
and w h ol e s om en e s s
”
.
- W . La ws o n , Th e Cou n tr y ou s ewi e s
f
’

Ga r d en .

Th e c o n s er v e o f
”
t
th e Ca r n a i o n G i l l y fl owe r i s
— Y
e xcee d i n g
Co r d ia l l t
e a en n ow a n d h en t TR O N. .

There has always been much learned discussion as to

e x actly what the old gi ll y flo wer was but any child lo oking ,

at the old illustrations would identify it with the pink or

c arnation and this is near enough for all practical purposes
, .

Th e good old English name of Gi lly flower is such a much

prettier nam e than Carnation that it is a pity we do not use
it There are nu m erous i llustrations of the cultivated gilly
.

flowers in Parkinson s E ar thly P ar a d i s e and some of them

’

have enchanting nam es Master Tuggl e s Princess e ” ’

Lu s t i e Gall ant
”
Fair Maid of Kent
,
”
Master Brad ,
”
shawe his d ai n ti e Ladie John Wilke his great tawny,
” ”
g il l o wfl o wer Speckled
, T awny Master T uggie his Rose ,

g i ll o wfl o wer Another
. com m on name for i
g yll fl o wer s was
”
S ops in Wine becau s e wine was flavoured with them when
,

they were in flower .

Many of the old writers give curious di re ctions of

how t o improve or alter the colour and scent of gilly
fl ower s which s eem to have held a place in our affection
o nly second t o roses throughout the Middle Ages Tryon .

says ,
These gi lli flo wer s you may make of any colours y ou
 OF SU ND R Y HE RBS 69

please in such sort as is shewed you for the colouri n g of

li ll y es and if you please to have them of mixt colours you
,

may also by Grafting of contrary colours one with an other ,

and you may with as great ease graft the gilli flowers as an y
fr uit whatsoever by the j o y n i ngs of the knots one unto
another and then wrapping them about with a little soft
silke and covering the place close with soft red waxe well , ,

te mpered An d you shall understand that the grafting of

.

g i l li fl o we r s maketh the m exceeding great double and most

orient of colour Now if you wi ll have your gi lli flower s of
.

divers smels or odours you may also with great ease as thus
, ,

for example : if you will take t wo or three great Cloves ,

s t eepe them for four and twenty hours in Damask o Rose

water Then t ake them ou t an d bruise them and put the m

.

into a fine Ca mb r i c k r agge and so binde them about the

heart r o o t e of the gilli fl ower near to the setting on of the
Stalk and so plant it in a fine soft and fertile mould and
, , ,

the flower which springeth from the same will have so

delicate a mixt smell of the clove and the Rose water that -

it will bree d both delight and wonder If in the same

.

manner you take a sticke of cinnamon and s teepe it in Ro s e

water and then bruise it an d bind it as aforesaid all the
, , ,

flowers will smell strongly of cinnamon if you take two ,

grains of fat muske or mix it with two drops of Damasko

Rose water an d bind it as aforesaid the fl o Wer s will smell
-
, , ,

strongly of muske yet not too hot nor o ffensive by reason

, ,

of the connection of the Rose water and in t hi s s ort you

-
,

may doe either with Amb er gr eece s to r ac Benj amin or any , ,

other sweet dru gge whatsoever and if in any of these con

,

fecti o n s before named you steep the s eed e s of your gilli

flowers foure and twenty h ou r es before you s owe them ,

they will take the same smels in which you s teept the m ,

onel y they will not be s o l ar ge or d ouble as those which ,

are replanted or grafted

To MAKE S YR U P OF CLOVE G I LLY FLOWE RS —Take a quart
.

of water half a bushel of Flowers cut o ff the whites and

, , ,

with a Sive S ift away the seeds bruise them a li ttle ; let
,

your water be boy led and a little c old agai n then put i n ,
7 0 A GA R DE N OF HE RBS

your Flowers and let the m stand close covered twenty fou r
,
-

hours ; you may put in but half the Flowers at a time the ,

strength will come out the better ; to that liquor put in

three pounds of Sugar let it lye in all night next day boyl , ,

it in a G all ypo t set it in a pot of water and there let it

, ,

boyl ti ll all the Sugar be melted and the Syrup be prett y ,

thick then take it out and let it stand in that ti ll it be

,

thorough cold then glass i t Th e Qu een s Cl os et Open ed

, .
-
’

by W M Cook to Queen Henrietta Maria 1 6 5 5

.
, .

T0 A E —
M K G I LLY FLOWE R W I NE Take two ounces of
d r y e d Gill y flower s and put them into a b ottle of Sack and
, ,

beat three ounces of Sugar candy or fine Sugar and grinde , ,

some Amb er gr ee s e and put it in the bottle and S hak e it

,

oft then ru n it through a gelly bag and give it for a great

, ,

Co r d i al l after a week s standing or more Y ou m ake

’
.

Lavender Wine as you doe this — I bi d . .

G I LLY FLOWE RS —Pickle up stratu m super

CON S E RV E OF

stratum a lay of flowers and then strawed over with fine

, , ,

dry and powdered Sugar and so lay after lay strawed , ,

over until l the po t be full you meane to k eepe them in ,

and after filled up or covered over with Vinegar John .

-

Parkinson P ar adi s i 1 6 2 9
, , .

G I LLI FLOWE R V I NE GAR —Gi lli fl0W€1 S infused in Vinegar .

!
‘

and set in the Sun for certaine dayes as we do for Rose ,

Vinegar do make a v ery pleasant and comf ortable vinegar ,

good to be used in ti me of contagious S ickness and ver y

—
,

profitable at all times for such as have feeble spirit s John

Evelyn A ceta r i a 1 6 9 9
, , .

To CAN D G I LLI FLOWE R S —Take the weight of your

Y .

Flowers in r efin d Sugar or sugar candy sift it put to it

’

, ,

some rose water and set it over a gentle Charc o al fire put
-
, ,

in your Flowers and stir them till the Sugar be of a candied

,

Hei ght then keep them in a dry Place for U s e —From Th e

Recei pt B ook of J oh n N ott Cook to the Duke of Bolton 1 72 3 , , .
 OF SU ND RY HE RBS 7 1

To PI CK LE G I LLI ELOWE R s .
—Take the Flowers just blown ,

take them o u t of the Husks Clip the white Bottoms and , ,

put them in fair water ; boil up White Wine Vinegar an d

scum it till no more scum will rise ; let it stand by to cool ;
then squeeze the water out of the Gilli flo wer s and put the m ,

into the Vinegar ; put in s o me broken Cinnamon a few ,

Blades of Mace melt some double r efin d Sugar in Ro s e

,
’

Water and put to the Pickle and stop them up close

, , .

When you use them mince them small put a little Vinegar ,

to them and strew over them a little fine Sugar The y

—
.
,

are a very good sauce for La mb or Mutton I bi d .

G I LLI FLOW E R S YR U P —Th e flowers are used Make a

. .

Syrup of five pints of boiling water poured on three pounds

of the flowers picked fro m the husks and with the white ,

heels cut o ff After they have stood twelve hours strain

.
,

o ff the clear liquor witho u t p essing and di ssolving in it

r ,

two pounds of the purest sugar to e very pint This makes .

—
the most beautiful and pleasant of al l Syru p From Th e
Rec ei pt B ook of H en r y H owa r d Free Cook of Lo ndon 1 7 1 0 ; , ,

and Co ok to the Duke of Ormond .

To MAKE CLOV E G I LLI F LOWE R- —

WI NE Take six Gallons
and a half of Spring Water and twelve Pounds of Sugar , ,

and when i t b oi l s skim it putting in the White of eight Eggs

, ,

and a Pint of Cold Water to make the Scum rise ; let it ,

boil for an Hour and a half skimming it well ; then pour ,

it into an Earthen Vessel with three Spoonfuls of Baum ;

,

then put in a Bushel of Clove Gi lli fl o wer s c li p d and beat -

’

stir them well together and the next Day put six Ou nces
,

of Syrup of Citron into it the third Day put in three Lemons

,

sliced Peel and all the fourth Day tun it up stop it close
, , ,

for ten Days then bottle it and put a Piece of Sugar in each
—
, ,

Bottl e Sarah Harrison Th e H ou s ekeeper s P ocket B ook

,
’

1 73 9
7 2 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS

G ROUND IVY
There are few herbs with a greater variety of names than
this humble attractive little plant which has such a sur
, ,

p ri s i n l
gy strong aromati c scent Gill go by tlr e ground - - - -
,
’
Lizzy run u p the hedge Cat s foot Devil s Candlesticks
’
- - - -
, , ,

Aleho of are only a few of its local nam es Th e o rdinary

, .

name Ground Ivy is very misleading as it is not an ivy at

,

, , ,

all Our Saxon ance s tors used Ground Ivy in their beer
.
,

and hence the places where this beer was sold were called
Gill hou ses Ground Ivy tea is a t onic much reco mmended
.

by many herbalists an d the herb u s ed to be s old in the ,

London s treet s .

G U RO — ND I V Y TE A
One quart of bo iling water poured on
to two handfuls of the plant when it i s in flower ( May and

HERB ROBERT
Th e —
wild crane sbill herb the geranium Robe r t —was
of the Middle Ages and it is one of the plants described in
—
,

Mayster Jon Gardener s book h T F of G d i

’
e eate a r en n g the ,

earliest original English treatise on gardening—the MS of .

which is in the library of Trinit y College Cambridge Herb , .

Robert was one of the plants used for edging before the
ugly box edgings superseded the charming Ol d bo rders of
h ys so p thym e and other herbs
,
.

HO REHOU ND
y g
m ad e fr o m t h e r e e n e fr e s h l e av e s o f h o r e h o u n d
S rup
g
a n d s u ar i s a m os t s i n u l a r r e m ed g
a ai n s t t h e c o u h a n d y g g
z g
wh e e i n o f t h e l u n s
” -
g
T Tr on , A Tr ea ti s e of Clea n n es s
. . y
in M ea ts , 1 692 .

Th e
botanical name of white a r r u bi u m —
horehound m
is of Hebrew derivation from mar r ob a bitter juice Many , , .

cottagers still grow horehound in order to make horehound

tea and syrup themselve s Black horehound has a very .

dis agreeable smell and it wa s form erly s uppos ed to be an

,
74 A GA R DEN OF HE R BS

A WATE R TO CAU S E AN EX CE LLE NT COLO U R AN D COM

PLE X I ON —Drink S i x spoonfuls of the juice of Hys s op i n
.

—
warm Ale in a Morning and fasting From Th e Recei pt B ook
'

of J oh n N ott Co o k t o the Duke of Bolton 1 7 2 3

, , .

To MAKE S YR U P O F HY S OP FOR Co w s —Take an handful

of Hy s o p of Figs R a y s i n s Dates of each an ounc e French
, , , , ,

Barley one ounce boyl therein three pintes of fair water

,

to a quart stra in it and cl ar i fie it with two Whites of Eggs

, ,

then put in t wo pound of fine Sugar and boyl it to a Syrup .

Th e Qu een s Cl q s et Open ed by W M Co ok to Queen Henri

’
.
,

etta Maria 1 65 5 , .

LAV END E R

H er e ’
s y o u r s we e t l a v e n d er
g y
,

t
S ix e e n s pr i s a pen n ,
Wh i c h y o u wi l l fin d my l ad i es , ,

Wil l s m el l as s we e as a n y ”
t .

O l d L on d on S tr eet Cr y .

j g fl
I u d e t h at th e o wer s o f La v e n d er u il te d i n a c a p q
a n d d a y l y wo r n e a r e g
oo d f o r a l l d i s e as es o f t h e h e ad t h a t
c o m e o f a co l d c a u s e a n d t h a t th e c o m fo r t t h e b r a i n e y
v er y
we ll .
—
Wi lli am Tu r n er A N ewe H er ba ll 1 5 5 1 , , .

Lave nder has always been grown in our English herb

gardens and with the di fferent kinds a garden of lavender
,

alone could be made Th e whi te lavender which is less .

,

hardy than the purple has a very delicate scent and it , ,

was evidently a favourite with Queen Henrietta Maria for ,

in the Survey of the Garden at Wimbledon whi ch belo nged ,

to her there were very great and large bor ders of Ro s emary
, ,

Ru e white Lavender and great variety of excellent herbs

,

and some choice fl o wer s —which borders herbs flowers , ,

we value to be wo rt h £3 Gerard calls French lavender .

S ti c a d o v e Thi s is L S tce ch a s which formerly grew in such

. .
,

abundance on the islands near Hy eres that they were named

after the plant the S t oech ad es Th e Spaniards now make
, .

lavender Oi l from this L S tcech a s by putting it in a bottle .

of olive Oi l and leaving the bottle tightly closed in th e sun .

“
Parkinson says that l avender in Spain grows so abundantly
 OF S U ND R Y HE RBS 75

in many places S O Wilde and little regarded that many have

,

gone and ab i d en there to d y s till the oyle thereof whereof

great quantities now c o m m et h over from thence unto us
”
and also from La nguedoc and Provence in Fr an Ce In .

England they had formerly the charmingly dainty custom

of serving any small dessert fruits or sweets on lavender

CON S E RV E F WE RS O F
O F THE theLO LAV E N DE R —Take
flowers being new so many as you please an d beat them ,

with three times their weight of White Sugar after the same ,

manner as Rosemary flowers ; they will keep one year .

Th e Qu een s Cl os et Open ed by W M Co ok t o Queen

’
. .
, ,

Henrietta Maria 1 6 5 5 , .

LAV E ND E R —
WATE R Put two pounds of lavender i
p pp s

in two quarts of water put them into a cold still and make
, ,

a slow fire under it ; di still it o ff very sl owly into a pot

till you have distilled all your water ; then clean your still
well out put your lavender water into it and distill it o ff
—
, ,

S lowly again ; put it into bottles and cork it well Th e

N ew A r t of Cooker y by Richard Briggs many years Co ok
, ,

at the Globe Tavern Fleet Street the White Hart Tavern

, , ,

Holb o m and the Temple Co ffee House 1 7 88

, , .

LAV E N D E RWATER W I THO U T D I S TI LLATI ON — Mix one .

pint rectified spirits four ounces distilled water three dra m s

, ,

oil of lavender three drams orange fl o wer water five mI n I ms

,
-
,

each of oil of cloves and oil of cinnamon and four minims

Otto of roses Al low this mixture to stand for a fortnight
.
,

then filter through carbo nate of magnesia and bottle Keep

for three months before using —Th e S ti ll Room of M r s
.

Ch a r l es Rou n dell .

LAVE N D ER TE A .
—One pint of b oiling water pour ed on half
an ounce of the young leaves .

LA V E N DE R W I NE . See und er G I LLI FLO WERS .

 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS '

LOVAGE

Th i s h er b e fo r h y s s we e t e s a v o u r e i s u s e d i n b ath e
y
.

Hen r D ethi ck e Th e G a r d ener s L a byr i n th 1 5 7 7

’
, , .

Lo vage was one of the herbs introduced by the Romans ,

and until the middle of the last century it was al ways grown
in English herb gardens It has such a qu ai nt old fashioned
.
,
-

name that on e regrets its exclusion from the modern herb

garden One old writer tells us it j oy eth to gr o we by way es
.
,

and under the eaves of a house it prospers in shadowy ,

”
place s and l oves ru nning water Lovage grows wild on the
.

sea coasts in parts of Scotland and Northumberland Par

-
.

ki nson s ays of it Th e whole plant and every part of it

s m elleth s om ewhat strongly and aromatically and of a
hot S harpe biting taste Th e Germans and other Nation s
, , .

in ti mes past used both the r oo t e and scede instead of Pepper

t o seas on their m eat os and brothes and found the m as
’
comfortable and warming .

Lo vage s eed should be so w n in March I n an y good garden

s oil
.

LIME FLOWE RS
We are a long way behind our French neighbours in our
appreciation of the excellent virtues of lime fl ower tea -
.

Li m e leaf Water is a fa m ous old co mplexion wash and in

-
,

France babies are still washed in it .

LI M E FLOWE R TE A
- —Pick the flowers when they begin to
open Dry them in the shade and keep them in a dry place
.

in air tight tins For a cup throw a good dessert spoonful

-
.
-

of them into boiling water and let it boil two or three se conds .

Leave it to infuse o ff the fire for a quarter of an hour and then

s train and sweeten An orange leaf improve s the taste
. .

LI M E LE AF WATE R
- —Pour boil ing water in a good handful
of the leaves and leave till co ol and strain .
 OF SUND RY HER BS 77

MALLOW
t
F o r w a n an d fam i n e h e t
w er e s o l i ar e ein y in o t y fl , g t
th e wild e r n e ss w h o c u t u p m a ll o ws b y t h e b u s h e s an d
ju n i pe r r oo s fo r t
h e ir m ea
”
Jto b xx x t
3 4 .
— . , .

fl
I f t h o u wilt s e e m a ll i n am e d o r s e t o n fir e , t ak e wh i te
g r e a t m a ll o ws o r h o ll h oc s
y k
an d an o i n t y o u r b o d
,
t h en y ,

wi th al u m a n d t h e n b ri m s to n e a n d wh en t h e fir e i s e nfl a m ed
, ,

k
i t h u r t e t h n o t an d y f t h o u m a e i t u po n t h e p alm e o f t h y
,

h an d e th o u s h al t b e a b l e t o h o l d e y e fi r e w i th o u t h u r t e
”
.
,

Th e B ok e of S ecr ets of A lber tu s M a gn u s of th e ver tues of

H er bes, S tones a nd cer ta i ne beas tes , 1 5 2 5 .

t t t
I f h a o f h e al h y o u h a v e a n y s pe ci a l c a r e
t t
U s e F r e n c h Ma l l o w e s h a t o t h e b o d w h o l es o m e ar e y
J
.

o h n Ger ar d Th e H er ba ll , 1 5 9 7 , .

Th e ancient Ro mans greatly estee m ed mallows and they ,

are still eaten by the Egyptians Syri ans and Chinese From , .

the earliest times they have been celebrated for their

soothing heali ng pro perties and they were one of the
, ,

co mm onest pot and salad herbs throughout the Middle

Ages It is a traditio n that when the ordeal of holding a
.

red hot iron wa s inflicted the suspected person covered his

-

hands with a paste made of marsh mallows and white of egg ,

and could with impunity hold a red hot iro n for a mom ent -
.

Mallow was held to be a herb of sovereign vi r tue against

witchcraft There is a curi ou s Old legend that Maho met
.
,

being pleas ed with a robe m ade of the fibre of mallow s tal ks ,

tran s formed the plant into a pelargoniu m Parkins on says .

of the Venice m allow These flowers are so quickly faded

and gone that you shal l hardly s ee any of the m blown e Open
u nl e s s e it be betimes in the mo r ning before the sun do th

grow warm e upon the m For as s o on as it feel eth the s u nn es

.

warm e heat it clo s eth up and never openeth again e so that

y o u shall very seld o m see a flower b lo wn e o pen in the day
ti m e a fter nine o clock in the morning ”
’
Gerard tells us .

o f the be autiful hedges of tree m all o ws wherewith the -

,

people o f Narbo nne in France doe m ak e hedges to sever or

divide their gardens and vineyards Ho llyhocks are of the .

mallow tribe and their leaves were also used as a pot herb
,
-
,

but as Evel yn says they are onl y co mm ended by so m e

”
.
, ,
7 8 A GA R DE N O F HE R BS

Mallow seeds should be sown I n March ; the plants may be

increas ed by dividing the roots in spring and autumn .

A S ALLE T O F MALLOWE S —Strip o ff the leaves from the .

tender s t al k es saving the t o ppe s : let them lye in water

,

and seethe them tender and put them in a Dish over co al e s ,

with Butter a n d Vinegar let them stand a while then put

—
in grated Bread and S ugar b etwe en e every lay A B ooke of .

Cooker i e by Edward All d e 1 5 8 8

, , .

SY U R M P OFM ARS H ALLO —

W S A Decocti on is made with
.

the Roots h ear b s fruits and seeds in s u fficient quantity

, , ,

of water b oy l ed to foure pints in the which is clarified and

, ,

bo y l ed to the height three pound of Sugar ; and the Syrup

c o m m eth to three half pen c e the ounc e —Th e Cha r i ta bl e

P hy s i ti a n by Phi lbert Guibert Ph y s iti an Regent in Paris

, , ,

1 639 .

S U CKET OF M ALLOW S TALK S

‘
l o candy or preserve the
’
-
.

”
tender stalks of Mallows do thu s Take them in the spring , ,

when they are very young and tender ; and peel o ff the
stri ngs that are round about the outside as you do French ,

beans and boil them till they are very tender In the
, .

meantime prepare a high Syrup of pure Sugar and put the ,

boiled Stal ks into it whiles it is boiling hot but taken fro m

, ,

the fir e Let them lie s oaki ng there till th e n e xt m orn i ng

‘

. .
_

Then take out th e Stalks and heat the Syrup again scalding , ,

hot and return the Stalks into it letting them he there ti ll

, ,

next morning ; (Note that the Stal ks must never boil in ,

the Syrup ) Repeat this six or eight or nine ti m es that is

.
, , ,

to say till they are su fficiently Imbibed with the S yrup .

When they are at thi s pass you may either keep them as a ,

wet Sucket in Syrup or dry them in a Stove upon Papers , ,

turning the m continuall y in such sort as dri ed sweet meats ,

-

are to be made I like them best dry but soft and moist
.
,

within In Italy these tender Stalks of Mallows ar e called

.

Mazzocchi and they eat them (boiled tender ) in S alletts

'

, ,

either hot or cold with Vinegar and Oy l or Butter and, ,

 OF SU ND RY HE RBS 79

Vin egar or j u y c e
,
—
of Oranges The .
-

Cl os et o f S i r K en el r n
D i gby Opened , 1 669 .

To M AK EM ALLOW S TALK S PA S S FOR G REE N PE AS —Peel

the Stalks and cut the m in the Form of Peas boil them i n ,

a Ski llet with Peppe r tied up in a Rag boi l them with a ,

quick fir e drain them in a cullender and dress th em like

, ,

Peas with Butter Pepper and Salt They taste s o much

, .

’
like green Peas that they are c all d March Peas a nd some at
—
eating them have taken them for such From Th e Recei pt
B ook of j ohn N ott Cook to th e Duke of Bolt o n 1 72 3
, , , .

To P I C KLE S KS
TH E M MALLows
TAL OF AR S H .
—
Gather
th em abo ut the latter end of March Peel o ff the outward .

Peel put them into boiling water seasoned with Salt Let
, , .

them have half a dozen Wal ms take them up drain them , , ,

let th em s tand to coo l make a pickle of Vinegar Salt and

—
, ,

Gross Peppe an d put the m into i t I bi d

'

r . .

MA R I GOL D
G o l d e i s b i tte r i n s a v o u r
y fl
,

F a r e a n d z e l u i s h i s o w er ;
g fl
Y e o ld e o u r i s o o d t o s e e n e g .

F ou r teen th -Ce n tu r y M ed i cal M S

Th e n wi th th e s e m ar y go l d s I l l m a k e ,
’

g
My ar l a n d s o me wh a t s well i n g .

MI C HAE L D RA YTO N .

’
fl
H er e s o wers fo r y o u
‘

H o t l a v e n d er m i n ts s a v o r m ar o r a m ; y j
g g
, , ,

Th e m a r i o l d th a t o e s t o b e d wi t h e S u n
’

g
,

A n d wi th h i m r is e s w ee p i n .

Wi nter s Tale I V i v ’
, . .

g
No m a r i o l d s y e t cl o s ed ar e
N o s h a d o ws r e a t a ppear e g
H E RR I C K .

y
O pe n a fr e s h o u r r o u n d o f s ta r r fo ld s y
g
,

Y e a r d e n t m ar i o l d s l
D u p t h e m o i s tu r e o f ou r o l d en l i d s , y g
or g
r e a t A po l l o bi d s ,
y y
Th a t i n th es e d a s o u r p r ai s e s s h o uld b e s u n g
y
On m an h ar ps wh i c h h e h as l ate l s tr u n ; y g
80 A GA RDEN OF HE RBS
g y
A n d w h e n a ai n o u r d e wi n ess h e is s e s , k
Te ll hi m I h a v e y o u in m y wo r l d o f b li s s e s I
y
S o h a p l w h e n I r o v e i n s o m e fa r v a l e
g y g
,

His m i h t v o i c e m a y co m e u po n t h e al e .

K E ATS .

Marigolds were frequently called golds in olden days

and in Provence gau ch efer bec ause the flowers with
,

their golden discs were suggestive of shi elds which were

.
—
worn on the left ar m they were the emblems of j ealousy ,

and Chaucer speaks of Jealousy that wer ed e of y el we

g u l d e s a garland It.ow e s its botanical name Cal endula , ,

to its reputation of blossoming on the first days of every

month in the year In the B oke of the S ecr ets of A l ber tu s
.

M a gn us we are told the vertue of this herbe is m er v elous

for if it be gathered the sunne b eyn ge in the sane Leo in ,

August and be wrapped in the leafe of a Laurel] a baye ,

tree and a wolves tothe be added thereto no man S hall be ,

able to have a word to speake aga yn s t the bearer thereof ,

but wordes of peace And y f any thing be stolne yf the

.
‘

bearer of the th y nges namen laye them under hys head ,

in the night he S hall s e the th efe and all his con di ci ou ns .

Marguerite of Valois grandmother of Henry I V had a

, ,

marigold turning towards the Sun for her de vice with the ,

motto J e n e veux suivre que lui seul In the Tudor days .

a bunch of marigolds and heartse ase signified happiness

stored in recollections Others nam e it the s u nn es bride
.

and su nn es h ear b e in that the flowers of the same follow the

,

sunne as fro m the rising by the s outh unto the west and bye
, ,

a notable turning obeying to the sunne in such manner that

what part of heaven he po ss esseth they into the sam e turned , ,

behold and that in a Clou di e and thicke ayre like directed ,

as they S hould be revived quickened and moved with the , , ,

spirit of hi m S u ch is ye love of it k n o wen to be t oward

.

that royall starre Mar y gold s steeped in V inegar and

.

rubbed well on the teeth and gu m s were a s o ver ei gn e

re medie for the assu aging of the gr evi ou s paine o f the
”
Teeth . Large quantities of the flowers were dried every
year t o flavour broths and pottages throughout the winter
_
.

They figured c o mmonl y in salads and c onserve s and s yru ps ,

82 A GA R DE N OF HE R BS

MAR JO RAM
Cl own I n d e e d S i r s h e was t h e s wee t m a r o r am o f t h e j
g
. , ,

A ll s Well th a t E n d s
” -
S a l a d o r r ath e r t h e h e r b o f r ac e
’
.
,

Well I V v, . .

Venus is supposed t o have been the first to raise sweet

marj oram Wild marj oram according to tr adition was
.
, ,

once a youth in the service of K ing Cinyras of Cyprus .

One day he was carryi ng a vase of perfumes whi ch he

dropped and in his terror he lost consciousness and finally
,

became metamorphosed into this s weet herb Th e botanical .

name origanu m means Joy o f the Mountain and one

'

, , ,

cannot imagine a more appropriate name for this fragrant

plant One old herbalist tells us that to smell wild marj oram
.

frequently keeps a person in good health Th e ancient .

Greeks believed that if marj oram grewon a tomb the dead

person was happy ; may many flowers grow on t hi s tomb ,

violets and marj oram and the narcissus gr o wmg I n water

, ,
”
and around Thee may all Roses grow was an old prayer , .

Marj oram was one of the strewing herbs and it was always ,

put into the sweet bags for the linen -

.

Marj orams love sun and they cannot have too much of ,

it They like a light dry soil Sow seeds of marj oram

.
, .

in March or April and increase by dividing the roots or,

taking slips any time during the S pring or autumn Sweet .

Marj oram can only be grown from seed as it is only an

annual .

—
A CO NS E RV E OF MARJ ORAM Take the tops and tenderest .

parts of Sweet Marj oram bruise it well in a wooden Mortar ,

or Bowl ; take double the weight of Fine Sugar boil it with ,

Marj oram Water till it is as thick as Syrup then put in your

— —
,

beaten m arj oram 5 From Th e Recei pts of j oh n N ott Cook

.
,

to the Duke of Bolton 1 7 2 3 , .

—
W I LD MAR J ORAM TE A One pint of boilin g water po ured
on a good handful of the young leaves and flowering tops of
wild marj oram Th e wild marj oram has a pungent taste
.
,

warm er than that of s weet or pot marj oram .

 OF SUND RY HE R BS 83

MEADOWS WEET .

y
.

Q u ee n
E l i z ab et h o f fam o u s m e m o r d i d m or e d e s ir e i t
th an a”n y o th er s we et h er b e t o s tr e w h er c h am b e rs
wi th al —J k
o h n P ar i ns o n , The Th ea tr e of P l a nts , 1 6 4 0
. .

Bridewort was on e of the old names of this beautiful flower ,

and it was form erl y one of the wedding herbs Q ueen of .

the m eadow i s another o f its appropriate nam es and ,

children nearly always call it this Gerard tells us that .

the leaves and flowers excel all other strong herbe s for t o
deck up houses to strew in chambers halls a n d banqueting , ,

houses in the su mm er time ; for the s mell thereof m ake s the

,

he ar t m errie and deli ghteth the senses A little m eadow .

sweet give s an excellent flavour to soup and there are still ,

number s of country folk in England who dr y a quantity

of it every year t o make an infusion of it for colds .

M E AD OWS WE E T TE A —
of bo iling water poured
. A quart
on an ounce of the fresh or dried leaves and flowering t 0ps .

MI NT
E at B
et o e an d My n ts r e pa r e d i n h on e , y us e h e r bs
g r a c e in th y ine .
” - A pr i l , l pm
a
’
s L i ttle D od oen , 1 606 .

Mint takes its nam e from Minth e who was loved by Pluto , .

This n y mplr was m etamorphosed by Pluto s wife Prosperine

’

, ,

with the herb called after her Henry D eth i ck e in the .

,

Ga r d en er s L a by r i n th give s so m e curious advice to the

’

gardener who cannot procure the garden mint Let him .

plant t h e seed of the wild mint setting the sharper ends ,

of the seeds downwards whereby to ta me and put away ,

the wildness of them ”

In France mint was called Menthe
.

de Notre Dame and in Italy Erbe Santa Maria

, Th e .

cultivated herb is said to have been introduced into England

by the Romans All the different varietie s have the qualit y
.

of preventing milk from curdling and for this reason ,

herbalists reco mmend them to people wh o are put on to a

milk diet Formerl y they were on e o f the herb s strewn in
.

churches and they were als o used in baths Culpepper

, .
84 A GA RDEN OF HE RBS

records the curious old belief that if a wounded man eats

mint he wi ll never recover and it is a superstition which ,

has not quite died out that mint must never be cut with an
instrument of iron .

All the mints except Corn mint like moisture Catmint -

.

will grow anywhere To h ave early mint make a small h o t

.
~

bed in January with two feet of manure with six inches of

good earth on t o p Plant the roots closely They will
. .

be up in about a fo rtnight If o nl y a small quantity is .

required plant a few roots in pots and give bottom heat .

Forced roots decay rapidly and are useless after the leaves ,

have been taken .

Mi ntes put into milk

it n ey th er s u ffer eth the same to ,

curde nor to become thick insomuch that layed in curded

, ,

,
—
milke thi s would bring the same th i n n e agai n e Th e Good .

Hou sewife s H a n dm a i d 5 88
’

, 1 .

To M AKE S YRU P
M I NT Take a quart of th e Syrup of
OF .
-

Quinces before they are full ripe juice of mint two quarts , ,

an ounce of Red Roses steep them twenty four hours in ,

-

the juices then boil it till it is half wasted strain out the ,

remainder and make it into a syrup with double refined

—
sugar From Th e R ecei pt B ook of j oh n N ott Cook to the
.
,

Duke of Bolton 1 7 2 3 , .

—
M I NT WATE R Take a good quantity of mint pennyroyal ,

and balm Steep them in canary or the lees of it for twenty

“

four hours Stop them up close and stir them now and
.
\

then Distil them in an al emb i c k with a quick fire sweeten

.
,

ing it with sugar in your receiver I bi d .

-
.

—
P E P P E R M I NT WATE R Take Pepper mint six handfuls
- -
,

cut it a little and infuse I t two Days in S i x quarts of Clean

,

Spirit ; then draw it o ff in a cold Sti ll marking every Bottle , ,

as it fills with a number for the fi rst Bottle will be far the
, ,

strongest the second l es s strong and the third weaker than

, ,

the second ; and so as we draw O ff more they will be still ,

weaker till at last it becomes almost insipid and somewhat '

,

s ourish but take n one o i that ; then cover the mout h of

,
 OF SU ND RY HE RBS 85

your Bottles with Papers pr i c k d full of Holes and let ’

the m stand a Day or t wo ; then pour your first Bottl e into

’
a large earthen glaz d Pan ; and to that the second and then ,

the third and the fourth and so on till by mixing they

, , ,

all beco m e of a su ffi cient strength ; then put them in Bottles

’
with a k nob or two of double r e fin d Loaf Sugar and cork -
,

them close This is an incomparable pleasant Dram

.
,

tasting like Ice or Snow in the mouth but creates a fine

, ,

warmth in the stomach and yields a most refreshing flavour , .

This sort of Mint is hard to be met with ; but is lately

cultivated in some Physick Gardens at Mitcham it must
be kept well weeded and the To p of the bed where it grows
,

must when we cut it be pricked up a little with a small

, , ,

Fork or the earth made fine with a Trowel because the

, ,

Runners of this so rt of Mint shoot along the surface of the ,

ground and so at the j oints strike root which is contrary

, , ,

to other s orts Of Mint which shoot their Runners under ,

—
groun d R Bradl ey Th e Cou n tr y Hous ewif e s an d Lady s
.
,
’ ’

D i r ector ,
1 73 2 .

CAT-
M I NT TE A .
—
A pint of boiling water poured on the
young leaves and flowering tops .

MUGWO RT
E l d e s t o f wo r ts
Th o u h as t m i gh t fo r th r e e
A n d a g ai n s t th i r t y .

F o r v en o m a v ai l e s t
For fly gi n vi le h i n s t g
g ty g
,

Mi h ain s t
l o a h ed t o n es
Th a tt g
h r ou h th e l a n d r ove .

S axon M S H er bal .
( H a r l e i a n ) ,

I f t h e , wo ul d d r i n n e ttl e s I n k Ma r ch
d
An e a t m u wo r t i n Ma y , g
y
S o m a n fin e m a i d e n s
Woul d n t go to t h e cl a
’
y .

Ol d P r over b .

Y f t h i s h e r b e b e w i th i n ah o u s e t h e r e s h al l n o wy c k e d
s py r y t e a b y d e .
—
A Gr ete H er ba l l, 1 5 3 9 .

k g
I f a F oo tm a n t a e m u w o r t a n d pu t i t i n to h is s h oes
i n t h e m or n i n g
h e m a y go e fort m i l es b e fo r e No o n a n d y
n o t b e we ar
”
y — ,

Wi lli am Co l e s , Th e A r t of S i mpli ng, 1 6 5 6 :

.
86 A GA R DE N OF HE RBS
In It al y the pe asants still use mugwort to kn ow if a S ick
perso n wil l recover They put i t u n d er his pillow without
. ,

telling him and if he goes to sleep it means he will recover

, .

If he lies awake it is a sure S ign he will die Nearly every .

where o n the Continent mugwort is c al led the herb of St .

John the Baptist Lupton in his N ota bl e Th i n gs relates

.
, ,

this superstition It is co mmonly affirmed that on mid

.
~

summer eve there is found under the root of mugwort a

,

co l d which keeps safe from the Plague carbuncle lightning , , ,

and the quartan ague them that bear the same about them
, ,

and Mi z ald u s the writer hereof saith that it is to b e found

, , .

the same day under the root of Pl ai ntai n which I know for ,

a truth for I have found them the s ame day under the root
,

of Pl ai n tai n which is especiall y and chiefly to be found at

,
”
noon . Th e following is an Old Russian legend about
mugwort In the district of S t ar odu b s k on the day of the ,

exaltation of the Cross a young girl was searching for ,

mushrooms in a forest when she saw a number of serpents ,

'

curled up She endeavoured to retrace her steps but fel l

.
,

into a deep pit which was the abode of the serpents Th e

, .

pit was dark but at the bottom S h e found a luminous st on e

,

th e serpents were hungry ; the queen of the golden horned -

serpents guided them to the luminous stone and the serpents ,

licked it and satisfied their hunger ; the young girl did the
,

same and remained in the pit till the Spring On the

, .

arrival of Spring the serpents interlaced themselve s in such

,

a manner as to form a ladder on which the young girl

ascended to the mouth of the pit But in taking her leave .

of the queen of the serpents she received as a parting gift , , ,

the power of understanding the language of plants and of ,

knowing their m edicinal properties ; on the condition that

she should never name the Mugwort or Tch orn ob il (that ,

which was black) ; if sh e pronounced that word she would ,

forget all that she had come to know Th e damsel soon .

understood all that the plants talked about ; but one day ,

a man suddenly asked her What is the plant which grows ,

in the fields by the S ide of the little footpaths ? Taken by

surpri s e the girl repli ed
, Tch o r n o b il and at the s ame
,
 OF SU ND RY HE R BS 87

mo ment all her kn owledge fors o ok her From that time .

,

it is said the Mugwort obtained the additi onal name of

,

Z ab y t k o or the Herb of Forgetfulness

, Sir John Hill says .

of this herb Th e leaves and tops o f the young shoots

'

and flowers I n t h i s plant are all full of virtue they are ,

aro m atic to the taste with a little sharpness Th e herb has .

been famous from the earliest time and Providence has ,

pl aced it everywhere about our doors so that reason and ,

authority as well as the notice of our senses point it ou t

, ,
”
for use but chemistry has banished natural medicines
,
.

—
M U G WO RT TEA On e pint of boiling water p o ured on to
an ounce of the flowering tops .

MU LLEI N
I t is a pl an t w h e r e o f i s m a d e a m a n n e r o f l y n k e (to r ch )
if i t b e t a ll o w e d
”
.
—
G e r a r d Th e Gr ete H er ba ll 1 5 9 7
, , .

In the I rish papers one frequentl y sees advertise m ents for

the mullein leaves in whose healing properties especially for
, ,

chest co mplaint the peasant s have the utmost faith but in

, ,

England it is a much neglected herb Gerard tells us the .

ol d story of Circe using m u llein in her i ncantations and ,

for m erly the plant was often called Hag taper ”

-
.

Th e Romans used to dip the stalk in suet and burn them

a s torches and it is said this was also done in England
, .

Th e Roman s valued mullein highly for chest troubles and ,

the y are suppo s ed to have taught the English the use of it .

MU M
LLE I N I LK —Boil a handful of the leaves in a pint of
milk for ten minutes then strain and drink h ot
, .

NETTLE
He th a t h ol d e th th i s
h e r b e i n h y s h an d with a n h e r b e
c al l e d My l fo y l e o r n o s e b l ed e is s u r e fr o m a ll fe ar e an d
,

f an t as y e o r v y s i on an d y f i t b e pu t wi th t h e j u y c e o f h o u s e
1y k e an d t h e b e a r e r s h a n d e b e a n o y n t ed wi h i t a n d t h e
,
t ,

r es i d u e b e
p t t
u t i n w a e r i f h e e n e r i n y e wa er w h e r e f y s h e s t
t y g t t
b e h e W1 11 a h er o e h e r t o h y s h a n d e s g t An d y f h y s
y
,
,

h and e b e d r a wen for h he t t

wi l l l ea pe a ga y n e t o t h e y r
88 A GA RDE N OF HE R BS
wh er e th e y w er e b e fo r e
” Th e
'

B oke
o wn e p l ace s .
- o f the
S ecr ets of A lber tu s M a gn u s
Th e fl o we r o f t h e d ead net tl e i s l ike a weas e l l s fa c e
’
.
”

W . Co l es , The A r t of S i mpli ng .

One of the varieties of nettle (u r ti ca pi l ulifer a ) is s aid to

have been introduced into England by the Roman soldiers
who brought the seed of it with them Th e tradition is .

th at they were told the climate of Engl and was s o terrible

that it was scarcely endurab le so they s owed these seeds ,

i n order to have a plentiful supply of nettle s where with

t o rub their bodies and so to keep them warm In .

Scandinavian mythol ogy nettles are sacred to Th or ,

and to this day in the Tyrol peasants throw nettles

on to the fire during a thunderstorm to prevent the house
being struck by lightning Nettles afford nourishment .

to a large nu mber of insects It is the o nl y food o f the

.

caterpillars of three of our most beautiful b u tter fli es the —

Atalanta Pa ph i a and Ur ti c ae and the pri ncipal fo od o f a
, ,

fourth I O Whipping with nettles wa s formerly strongly

, .

recommended for rheumatism Th e bags O f poison

.

which set up irritation can be seen with the naked eye at the
bottom of the prickles on the stalk of a full grown nettle -
.

Nettles are one of the most valuable of our neglected herbs ,

for they contain such health giving salts Boiled as spinach

-
.

they afford excellent green food during the early spring when
green vegetables are scarce in th e garden Their value as
’

a green food is well known to poultry fanciers One of the .

best known e xhibitors in England has s uch a high opi nion

-

of the value of nettles that for the pri ze st o ck large quan ti ties
of nettles are dried I n order that the birds may be supplie d
with them during the winter months To make it palatable .

to the fowls the boiling water is poured on to the nettles ,

and meal is added to make it into a mas h Nettles ar e .

good for poultry at any time but they ar e o nly goo d for ,

human consumption during the early spring m onths They .

should n e ver be eaten when the y have gone to seed .

NE TTLE TE A . One quart

-
of boiling water poured on to
9 9 A GA RDE N OF HE R BS

curi ous botanic hist ory t hat no one can tell what is its
native country Probably the plant h as been so altered
.

b y cultivation as to have lost all likeness to its original

”
self . It is said that Charlemagne having once tasted a
cheese flavoured with parsley S eeds ordered two cases of ,

these cheeses to be s ent to him yearly .

Deth i ck e gives the amateur gardener this advice : To

make the s eed es appear more quickly steep them in vinegar
and strew the bed with the ashes of bean water with the -

best a qu a vi tae and then cover the beds with a piece of

,

woolen cloth and the plants will begin to appe ar in an

,

hour Then he adds :

. he must take Off the cloth so
that they may shoot up the higher to the wonder of all
beholders !
In the s outhern states of America the negroes consider it
unlucky to transplant parsley from the old home to the
new and in England old fashioned gardeners will often tell
,
-

you they never transplant parsley as it woul d bring mis ,

fortune on every one in the house It is said that parsley .

seed goes seven ti m es to the Devil and back before it ger

m in a tes and that is why it is so slow in coming up !
,

Formerly parsl ey roots were much eaten and the young ,

roots are still recommended by modern herbalists .

A S AU CE FO R A ROS TE D RABB I T U S E D To K I NG HE NRY

THE E I G HT — Take a handful ] of washed Per cely mince it
.
,

small boyle it with b utter a n d verj uice upon a ch afin g dish

,
-
,

seas on i t wi th suger and a little pepper grosse beaten

_

when it is ready put in a fow o cru mm es of white bread

amongst the other let it boyle again e till it be thicke then ,

l aye it in a platter like the breadth of three fi n gers laye of

—
, ,

each side one rosted c onny and S 0 serve the m Th e Tr eas u r i e

of Hi dd en S ecr ets a n d Commodi ou s Con cei ts by John Part ,

ridge 1 5 8 6 , .
 OF SU ND R Y HE R BS 9 :

P LA NTAI N
An d t h o u wa y b r o ad ( pl a n t ai n )
Mo t h e r o f wo r ts
O pe n f r o m e as tw ar d
g y
Mi h t w i thi n ;
k
O v e r t h e e c ar ts c r e a e d
q
O v er t h e e u e e n s r o d e
O v e r t h e e b r i d e s b r i d a ll e d
O v e r t h e e b u l l s b r e ath e d .

Al l t h e s e t h o u wi t h s t oo d s t
An d wi th s tou n d s t ay e d s t
As th o u wi t h s t oo d s t
V e n o m a n d v i l e t hi n s g
y
An d a l l t h e l o a th l o n e s
g
Th at t h r ou h t h e l a n d r o v e .

S axon Her ba l .

Th e plantain is said to have been once a maiden who ,

after constantly watching the ro adway for her lover was ,

changed into this pl ant which still clings to the roadside .

It has frequently b een pointed out that wherever the

E n glish flag is carried the plantain in an I ncredibly short
time makes its appearance so it merits a place in the herb
,

garden quite apart from its virtues From the days of our .

Saxon ancestors who called it way b r o a d e (a much more

,

appropriate name than plantain ) it has always been highly

,

valued A tea made from its leaves is e x cellent and both

.
,

Chaucer and Shakespeare refer to its use for healing wounds .

Th e young leaves were formerly used I n salad and th e ,

seeds b eing very mucilaginous are a good substitute for

, ,

lin s eed.

Canaries are very fond of plantain seed .

P LA NTAI N TE A —One quart of boiling water po ured on

.

to two large handfuls of the young leaves and left to infus e

s everal hours .

M Y
To RE E D THE FE E TE THAT AR E S ORE W I TH TRAVE LLI NG .

Take Pl an t ain e and stampe it

-
well and a n oy n t your
—
,

fe c t o with the j uice thereof and the gr eefe will s wage The
Good Hou s ewife s Ha n dma id 1 5 8 8
’
.
,
94 A GA RDE N OF HE R BS

PU RS LA NE
Lo r d , I c o n fe ss t o o w h e n I d i n e
Th e p u l s e i s t h i n e
An d al l th o s e o th er b i ts th at b e
Th er e pl a c e d b y Th e e .

Th e wo r t s t h e p u r s e l ai n , a n d t h e m e s s
,

Of Wat e r Cr e s s ”
.

H E R RI C K .

Purslane which we so seldom us e now even in salads

, ,

was formerly recommended for a vast number of diseases ,

including teeth set on edge fl a s h in gs by lightening or ,

planets and for burning of gunpowder

,

Purslanes like a light rich soil and as they are tender , ,

annuals they must be sown either on a hot bed or in the

,
-

open ground i n May They should not be transplanted

-
. .

Th e leaves are generally ready to be gathered six weeks

after planting the seeds Green pII r s l an e is hardier than .

golden purslane .

P RE S E RV E D —
P U RS LANE This for a dainty dish with ,

many served firs t at the table in the winter time preserved ,

after this manner the greatest stemmes an d l ea v es of the

,
'

Purslane without rootes were gathered and these wy th

water thoroughl y cleansed from the fy n e s ands hanging on ,

and the fil th e and corrupt leaves if any such were clean , ,

purged away and these s o long they d r y ed until they were

,

so mewhat withered Then were they infus e d in verj uice

.

made of soure grapes strewed thicke over wy th green fennel ]

bestowed in a n earthen pot gla s d within or for the lacke of it
in a s weete vessel of woode after t h is the whole sprin kled ,

well over wy th s alte laying green fennel ] again over the

,

salte and sundry courses of Purslane with salt and fennel ]

, ,

be stowed to the filling up of the pot and over the upper

bed of the Purslane a gain e a thicke course of greene fenn el ]
strewed wh i ch e S ettled the whole mixture downe into the
,

pot This being done the verj uice was poured upon in
. ,

such order so full that the same reached uppe to the b r i m m e

or lippe of th e ves s el ] Th e sam e pickle or s auce close
.
94 A GA R DE N OF HE R BS

—
of divers colours very small A , . P er f ect S chool of I n
‘
f
s tr ucti on s or f
the Ofii cer s o th e M onth by , Giles Rose , one of
the Master Cooks to Charles II ,
1 6 82 .

A PU RS LA NE —
S O U R When
your Purslane 13 young you ,

nee d only cut the s priggs o ff but keep their whole length , ,

boil them in a s m all kettle with some Pease soup and ,

-

Onion Juice both of the same quantity when your Purse -

, ,
v

lane is boiled enough soak some crusts in some Broth ,

when soaked dish it garni sh it with the said Purslane let

, , ,

the Broth be relishing pour it over and serve it up hot , , .

Th e M od er n Cook to Vi n cen t La Ch apell e Co ok t o the Prince ,

of Orange 1 7 44 , .

RAMPIO N

J ohn Evelyn
, reco mm ends the tender roots of rampion ,

eaten in spring as being more nourishing than radishes ; and

,

Parkinson says that the roots may be eaten either raw

or b oy l ed and stewed with butter and oyle and some black
”
or long pepper cast on them Maj or Kenny Herbert .

recommends rampion leaves prepared like spinach Un .

fortunately i f one wishes to eat the roots the plants must ,

not be allowed to flower and it is S O beautiful that this ,

seems a foolish sacrifice Distilled water of rampion was .

highly esteemed as a complexion b eau t ifier .

If the roots are wanted rampion S hould not be sown ,

before the end of May They l ike a light soil and a S hady .

border and they do n ot bear transplanting unless very

,

carefully done Th e roots are fit for use in November

. .

R O CKET
Wh os o e v er tak eth t h e s e e d o f R o c k e b e for e h e b e t
wh i pt s h all b e s o h ar d e n e d t t
h a h e s h a ll e as il e n d u r e t h e y
J
,
” -
p ai n e s . oh n G e r a r d , Th e H er ba ll, I 5 9 7 .

Galen forbade the eating of lettuce without purslane or ,

l ettuce without rocket or rocket without purslane or lettuce

, .

Formerly one of the rocket s was in comm on use as a salad

 OF SU ND R Y HE R B S 95

herb but few of the old herbalists have much to s ay in i t s

,

favour Turner recommends the s ee d as being efli ca ci ou s

.

again st the bitin g s of the shrew m ouse and other venemous -

”
beasts Fo l k ar d tells us that the London R ocket first
.

appeared in the metropolis in the spring succeeding the

Great Fire Of London when young rockets were s een every ,

where among the ruins where they increased so marvel ,

l o u s l y that in the summer the en orm ous crop crowding over

the surface of London created the greatest astonishment
”
and wonder .

ROS E
Le t c r o wn o urs e l v e s wi th R o s es b e fo r e th e y be
—
us
wi th er e d .
”
Wi s d om, II . i .

D ry r o s es pu t t o th e n os e to s m e l l d o c o m fo r t th e
b r a y n e a n d t h e h e r t e an d q k
u i c en e h t
th e s py r y t e .

R B a n ck es Th e Gr ete H er ba l l
. , ,
1 5 25 .

Of t h e i r s weet d e a th ar e s we e e s t t od o ur s m ad e
P
.

S HA K E S E A R E .

R os e ! Th o u a r t t h e f o n d e s t c h i l d
'

O f d im pl e d s pr i n t h e wo od n m ph wil d g y .

THO MA S MO O R E .

Our ancestors prized the rose above all for its sweet scent ,

and i n spite of the magni fi cence of our modern roses the ,

old fashioned housewife would have had none of them in

-

her garden For rose water she needed the cabbage and
’

-
.

damask roses and these with musk and Provence ro s es

, ,

a n d sweet briar are the onl y ro se s for a herb garden

-
, .

’
England s association with the rose is of very ancient date ,

fo r did not Pliny doubt whether the country was called

Albion from the white cliffs or the whit e roses which gre w ,

here in such glorious abundance ? Like gi llyfl o wer s another ,

favourite wi th ou r ancestors Of the Middle Ages roses were

~

often accepted as quit rent In 1 5 7 6 the Bishop of Ely .

granted to Sir Christopher Hatton the greater portion of

‘

Ely House Holb om on condition that the latter paid yearly

, ,
'

a red rose and the Bishop had also the right of free acce ss
,

to the garden with the privilege of gathering twenty bushels

of roses every year Th e B a i llée d es Ros es existed in France
.
9 6 A GA RDE N O F HE R BS

till the end of the sixteenth century It consisted of a .

tribute of roses which had t o b e given by the peers Of France l

to the Parlement Each peer in turn had t o see that the

.

rooms of the palace were strewed with roses flowers an d ,

sweet herbs As he went through the rooms a large silver

.

bowl was carried before him and in it were crowns of roses ,

fo r every member Of the Parlement Parkinson says that .

the double yellow rose was first procured to be brought

into England by Master Nicholas Le te a worthy merchant ,

of London and a great lover of flowers from Constantinople , ,

which (as we heare) was first brought thither from Syria ;

but perished quickly both with h i m and with all o ther to
whom he imparted it ; yet afterwards it was sent to Master
John de Fr an q u eille a Merchant also of London , and a
,

great lover of all rare plants as well as flo wers from which , ,

is sprung the greatest store that is now flourishing in this

kingdom Sir John Hill tells us that nothing equals the
.

swe etness of the true Provence rose which were so esteemed ,

in the Indies that sometimes they will sell for their weight
in gold He speaks also of the honey of roses made by
.

boiling honey and the fresh j uice of Provence roses together .

In our great grandmothers time they used to put fragrant

-
’

damask rose petals into a cherry pie before putting on the

-

crust and in the earlier days rose water was used to flavour
,
-

c akes I have given one receipt for a cake so flavoured

. .

See To bake a cake after the way of the Royal Princess ,

”
the Lady Elizab eth daughter to King Charles th e First
, .

T0 M AK V I O LE TS Take of violets
E S rR O P O F RO S E S OR .
-

or roses a pou n d e s teepe them in three pints of warme water

, ,

put it in an earthen pot with a n arrow mouth the space of

seven h ou r es or more after s tr ain e it and warme the water
, , ,

a gai n e and put in a ga in e so many Roses or Violets and

, ,

likewise let them lye in s tee pe eight h ou r es and thus do at ,

the least five times the Oftener the better i n especiall the
, ,

rose s and after take to every pint a poun d e of sugar and

,

s t eepe them together till the sugar be molten then seethe

, ,

them together with a soft sweet fire to the height Of a

9 8 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS
Moreover you make your Vinegar of Wine white r ed or
—
, ,

claret This is Vinegar Roset John Partridge Th e

. .
,

Tr eas u r i e of Hi dd en S ecr ets a n d Commod i ou s Con cei ts 1 5 8 6 , .

T0 MA KE CO NS E RVE OF R OS E S O R F LOWE R S O THE R .

Take the buds Of Red Roses somewhat

before they be ready ,

to spread ; cut the red part of the leaves from the white ,

then take the red l eaves and beat and grind them in a stone
morter with a pestle of wood and to every ounce of roses
, ,
,
,

put in three ounces of sugar in the grinding after the leaves

are wel l beaten and grind them together till they be per
,

fe ct ly incorporated then put in a gl ass made for the nonce

, ,

or of purpose ; or else into an Earthen pot stop it close and ,

so keep it Thus yee may make conserves Of all kinde O f

.

flowers used thereunto —I bi d . .

TO MAKE O Y LE of oyle eighteen ounces

OF ROS E S - Take ,

the buds of R oses (the white ends of them cut away) three
ounces l a y the R oses abroad in the shadow four and twen ty
,

honres then put them in a glass to th e oyle and stop the

, ,

—
gl ass close and set it in the sunne at least forty daye s I bid

TO M AKE OY NTME NT O F RO S E S — Take oyle of R oses

four ounces white wax one ounce melt them toge ther over
, ,

seething water then chafe them toge ther with R ose water -

—
,

and a li ttle white vinegar I bi d . .

RO S E S GI LLY F LO WE R S KE P T LO N G — Cover a R ose

AND .

th at is fresh and in the bud and gathered in a faire day

, ,

af ter the dew is ascended with the whites of eggs well ,

beaten and presently strew thereon the fine pOwd er of

,

searced sugar and put them up in luted pots setting th e

, ,

pots in a coole place in sand or gravel] with a filli p at any

time you may shake Off this inclosure Sir Hugh Platt .
-
,

D el i ghts f or Lad i es 1 5 94 , .

Ho w To DR Y R OS E LE AVE S , OR ANY O THE R S I N G LE

F LOWE R S WI THO UT WRI N K LI N G —

I f you would performe the .

same wel in rose leaves you must in rose time make choice
,
 OF SU ND R Y HE RBS 9

of such roses as are neither in the bud nor ful l b lown e ,

( for these have the smoothest leaves of a l l other ) which ,

you must especially c ul l and chuse fro m the rest ; then take
sand wash it in some change of waters and drie it thoroughly
, ,

well either in an oven or in the sunne ; and having shallow

, , ,

square or long boxes of four five or S i x inches d eepe ma k e , ,

first an even lay of sand in the bottom upon which lay your ,

rose leaves one by one (so as none of them touch other )

,

till you have covered all the sand then strowe sand upon ,

those leaves till you have thinly covered them all and
, ,

then ma ke another laie of leaves as before and so lay upon ,

lay etc Set this box in some warme place in a hot sunny
, .
,

day (and commo nl y in two hot sunny dayes they will bee
thorow dry) then take them out carefully with your hand
,

without brea king K eepe these leaves in Jarre glasses

.
,

bound about with paper n eer e a chimney or stove for

, , , ,

feare of relenting I fin d e the red Rose leafe best to be

.

kept in this manner ; also take away the s t alkes of pansies ,

sto ck gilly fl o wer s or other singl e flowers ; pricke them one

,

by one in sand pressing downe th ei r e leaves smooth with

,

more sand laid eve nl y upon them And thus you may have .

R ose leaves an d other flowers to lay about your basons

, ,

Windows etc all the winter long Also this secret is very
, .
,
.

requ isite for a good s i m pli fier because hee m ay dry the ,

leaf of any herb in this manner ; and lay it being dry in , ,

his herbal with the simple which it r epr e s en teth whereby ,

he may easily l ear n e to know the names of all simples

which he desireth — I bi d . .

H o w TO D RY
'

R OS E LE AV E S I N A MO S T E X CE LLE NT MAN
NE R .
—
When you have newly taken out your bread then put ,

in your Rose s in a sieve first clipping away the whites that ,

they may be all O f one col our l a y them about one inch in ,

thickness in the sieve ; and when they have stood halfe an

houre or thereabout they will grow whitish on the top :
, ,

let them yet r em ai n e without stirring till the uppermost of ,

them bee fully dried then stirre them together and leave ,

them about o n e o ther halfe houre : and if you fin d e them

1 00 A GA R DE N OF HE RBS
dry in the top stirre them together a gai ne and s o con
, ,

t i n u e this wo r k e until they bee th Or Ol

, dried : then put
them hot as they are into an earthen pot having a narro w
mouth and being well leaded within (the Refin er s of gold
,

and silver call these pots Hoo kers ) stop it with corke and
wet parchment or with wax and rosin mixed together ;
,

and hang your pot in a chimney or near a c ont in u al l fire , ,

and so they will k eepe exceeding faire in colour and most ,

delicate in sent And if you feare their relenting take the

.
,
‘
R ose leaves about Ca n d el m as and put them once a gai n e ,

into a sieve stirring them up and downe Often till they b e

—
,

dry and then put them ga n e hot into your po t I bi d

a i .

A S I NG U LAR M AN NE R O F M AK I NG THE S I R U P O F RO S E S .

Fi ll a silver Bason three quarters full of rain water or Rose - -

water put therein a convenient proportion of Rose leaves

,

cover the bason and set it upon a pot of hot water (as we
,

usually ba ke a custard) : in three quarters Of an houre or -

,

one whole houre at the most you shall purchase the whole ,

strength and tincture of the R ose : then take out tho s e

leaves wringing out all their liquor gently and s t eepe more
, ,

fresh leaves in the same water continue this iteration

seven times and then ma k e it u p in a sirup and this sirup
,

worketh more k in d ely than that which is made m eer l y of

the j ui ce of the Rose You may ma ke sundry other sirups
—
.

in this manner I bi d . .

A NOTHE R WA Y F OR THE DR Y I N G OF ROS E LE AVE S —

Dry .

them in the heat of a hott sunny day upon a Lead turning ,

them up and downe till they be dry (as they do hay ) : then
put them up into glasses well stopt and luted keeping your ,

gl asses in warme places ; and thus you may k eepe all

flowers but herbs after they are dried in this manner
.
, ,

are best kept in paper bags placing the bags in close

cupboards —M i d
,

Ho w To PRE S E RV E WHOLE
G I LLY FLOWE RS MA RI
RO S E S ,
—Dip a Rose that is neither in the bud nor
,

G OLDS , E Tc .
,

o v er b l own e , in a sirup consisting of sugar doubl e refined

, , ,
1 02 A GA RDE N OF HE R BS
put as much powder of the R oses as will make it look very
red stir them well together and when it is al most cold
, , ,

p u t it into p al es and when it is thoroughly cold take them

—
, ,

Off and put them in boxes

,
I bi d . .

TO MAK E LOZ I N GE S
Boyl yo u r sugar to O F RE D Ro s E s .
-

sugar again then put in your red R oses being finely beaten
, ,

and made moist with the j u y ce O f a Lemon ; let it not boyl

after the R oses are in but pour it upon a Pye plate and cu t ,

it in what form you pleas e —I bi d .

T0 M AK E A TART O F cut them and take HI P S —Take hips ,

out the seeds very clean then wash them and season them
.

with s ugar cinnamon and ginger close the tart bake it

, , , ,

—
scrape on sugar and serve it i n Th e A r t a n d M y s ter y of .

Cooker y A ppr oved by th e F i ty

-
fi ve Y ea r s f ’
E xper i en ce and

I n d u s tr y of R ober t M ay , 1 6 7 1 .

TO C AN D Y R O S E LE A V E S A s NAT U RA L AS I F THE Y G R O W
O N TRE E S —Take of your fairest
leaves Re d or Da R ose ,

mask and on a sunshine day sprin kle them with R ose water
,
-
,

l a y them on one by one on a fair paper then take some ,

double refined sugar beaten very fine put it in a fine l a wn e ,

s e a r s e when you have laid abroad all the rose leaves in the

hottest of the sun s ear s e sugar thinly all over them and ,

anon the sun will candie the sugar ; then turn the l eaves
and s ear s e sugar on the other side and turn them often in ,

the sun sometimes sprinkling R ose water and sometimes

,
-

s e a r s i n g sugar on them until they be enough and come to , ,

your liking and being thus done you may keep them
, , ,
.

William R abisha Th e Wh ol e B ody of Cooker y D i s s ected

, ,

1 67 5 .

M U S K R O S E WATE R Take two handfuls of your Musk

-
.
-

Rose leaves put them into about a quart Of fair water and
-
,

a quar ter Of a pound Of sugar and finish this as you did your
J e s em e water ( See Jasmine water in
. Chapter X ) —I bi d . .

CON S E RVE OF RE D RO S E S — Doctor Glisson makes his

conserve of red roses thus Boil gently a pound of red Rose
 OF SU ND R Y HE R BS 1 03

leaves in about a pint and a halfe ( or a little more a s by ,

discretion you shall find fit after having done it once ; ,

Th e D octor s A pothec a r y takes two pints ) of Spring water ;

’

till the water have drawn out all the Tincture O f the R oses
into it self and that the leaves be very tender and l o o k e ,

pale like Linnen ; which may be in good half hour or an hour , ,

keeping the pot covered while it b o ileth Then pour the .

tincted Liquor from the pale leaves strain it out pressing , ,

it gently so that you may have Liquor enough to dissolve

,

your sugar and set it upon the fire by it self to boil putting
, ,

into it a pound of pure double r efin ed sugar in small po wder ; -

which as soon as it is dis sol ved put in a second pound ; then

/
a third lastly a fourth S O that you have four pounds Of
, ,

sugar to every pound Of Rose leaves (the Apothecary useth

to put all the four pounds into the Liquor together at once ) .

Boil these four pounds of sugar with the tincted Liquor ,

till it be a high syr up very near a candy height (as high as

,

i t can be not to flake or candy)

, Then put the pale rose .

leaves into this high syrup as it yet standeth upon the fire ,

or im mediately upon the taking it o ff the fire But presently .

take it from the fire and stir th em exceeding well together

,

to mix them uniformly ; then let them stand till they be

cold then pot them up If you put up your Conserve into
, .

po ts while i t is yet throughl y warm and leave them u n

, ,

covered some days putting them in the hot sun or stove

, ,

there will grow a fine candy upon the top which will preserve
the conserve with paper upon it from moul ding till you ,

break the candied cr u st to take out some of the conserve

, .

Th e colour both of the Rose leaves and the syrup about

them will be exceeding beautiful and red and the taste
, ,

excellent ; and the whole very tender and smoothing and ,

e a s i e to d igest in the stomack without clogging it as doth ,

“

the ordinary rough conserve made of raw R oses beaten

with sugar which is very rough in the throat
,
— Th e Cl os et
of S i r K en el m D i gby Open ed 1 66
9 , .

TO MA KE
W AF E R S .
—Put the yolks of four eggs and three ,

Spo onfuls of Rose water to a quart of flour ; mingle them

-
,
1 04 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS

well make them into a Batter with crea m and double

,

r efin e d sugar pour it on very thin and b ake it on Irons

, , .

From Th e Rec ei pt B ook of J oh n N ott Cook t o the Duke Of ,

Bolton 1 7 2 3 , .

TO M AKE CO N S E RV E OF your Roses be RE D RO S E S —Let

g a t h e r d before
’
they are quite blown pound them in a stone ,

mortar a n d add to them t wice their weight in double

,

r efin e d sugar and put them into a glass close stopt up

, ,

but do not fill it full Le t them stand three months before .

you use them r em emb r in g to stir them once a Day I bi d

, .
-
.

To DRY O R K E E P RO S E S — Take the Buds of Damask

Roses before they are fully blown pull the leaves and lay ,

them on Boards in a Room where the Heat of the Sun

,

may not come at them ; when the y are pretty dry let a ,

large Still be made warm and lay them on the To p of it ,

till they are crisp ; but let them not lie so long as to change
their Colour Then spread them thin ; and when they are
.

thorough ly d r y d press them down into a Earthen Pan

’

and keep close c o v er d —I bi d

, ,
’
. .

T0 MAKE CO N S E RVE OF RO S E HI P S —Gather the h ips

before they grow sof t cut Off the heads and stalks slit , ,

them in halves and take out all the seeds and white that
,

is in them very clean ; then put in an ear then pan and stir ,

them every day el s e they wil l grow mouldy ; let them stand
till they are soft enough to rub through a coarse hair sieve ;
as the pulp comes take it Off the sieve ; they are a dry
berry and will require pains to rub it through ; th en add
,

its weight in sugar and mix it well together without boiling ;

,

—
keeping it in deep gallipots for use E Smith Th e . .
,

Compl ete Hou s ewife ,

1 736 .

TO M AKE RO S E -
D ROP S —Th e roses and sugar must be
.

beat separately into a very fine powder and both sifted ; ,

to a pound of sugar an ounce of red roses they must be ,

mixed together and then wet with as much j uice Of Lemon

,

as will make it into a sti ff paste ; set it on a slow fire in a

silver porringer and stir it well and when it is scalding
, ,
 “
1 06 A GA R DEN OF HE RBS

ROSEMA R Y

For th e s ic l k y t k th i
a e s t y
w o r r o s em ar , po u n d i t wi th
O il s m e a r t h e s i c l
,
ky w one, o n d e r fu ll yt
h o u h e al es t h im
”
.

S a xo n M 5 H er ba l . .

Th e r o s e m ar y
h as all t h e vir tu es Of th e t
s o n e c all e d
— Th e P h ys i ci a n s o f M y dd va i .

Ma ke th e e a box of
t h e w oo d o f r o s e m ar y an d s m e ll
to i t a n d i t s h al l pr e s er v e t h y o u h y t .
-
Th e L i ttle H er ba ll,
152 5 .

y
As for r o s e m ar I l e tt e i t r u n n e a ll o v e r m y a r d e n w a l l s g ,

n o t o nl i e b e c a u s e m y b e e s l o v e i t b u t b e c a u s e i t i s t h e h e r b
g
,

s acr e d t o r em e m b r a n c e a n d t o f r i en d s h i p , wh e n c e a s pr i
o f i t h a th a d u m b l a n u a e g g —
S I R THO M A S MO O R E
. .

Of all fragrant herbs rosemary and lavender hold

perhaps the foremost place but of the former how little ,

real use is made ! How many people know the taste of

rosemary wine or ro s emary cordial ? In the French language
of flowers rosemary represents the powe r of rekin dling lost
energy and in Olden days it was held in the highest repute
,

for its invigorating effects both as a scent and a cordial ;

Th e nam e rosemary means dew of the sea and the plant ,

which grows naturally near the sea alway s has the smell
of it What is more be autiful in winter than its glistening
.

grey green foliage and delicious fragrance ? One rarely sees

-

a large bunch of its graceful long stems as a decoration in

a room but what a j oy it is when one does
, Formerly the
aromatic scent of the plant was highly valued for its pro
t e cti v e power against infection It was carried at funerals .
,

burnt in si ck rooms used in spells to ward off black magic

, ,

and for festival days in churches ; and banqueting halls and

ordinary living rooms were lavishly decorated with long
-

boughs of it An old French name for rosemary l S i n cen s i er

.
,

because it was so Often used instead of incense when the

latter was too costly In the British Museum the r e is an
.

interesting Old MS on the virtues Of rosemary which was

.
,

sent by the Count ess of Hainault to her daughter Q ueen ,

“
Philippa of England In it one reads of rosemary . it ,

m i gh t eth the boones and causeth goode and gla d eth and
lighteth alle men that use it Th e leves lay d e under th e .
 OF S U ND R Y HE R BS 1 07

heade wh ann e a man slepes it doth away ev ell spir ites and
,

suffereth not to dr ee m e fowle dr em es n e to be a fea d e But .

he must be out of d eed ely synne for it is an holy tree Lavender .

and Rose mary is as woman to man and White Roose to Reede .

It is an holy tree and with ffolke that been j ust and Right
full e gladly e it groweth and t hr y v eth In this MS there . .

is recorded an Old tradition I have never seen elsewhere :

that ro s emary passeth not commonly in h igh t e the h igh t e
of Criste whill he was man in E r th e and that when the ,

plant att ains thir ty three years in age it will increase in

-

breadth but not in height Perhaps there was no time

, .

when rosemary was more loved than in Tudor times At .

every weddi ng branches of gilded rosemary were given by

the bridesmaids to the bridegroom A bunch of it was a .

pretty New Yea r gift ; and sprigs were thrown for r em em q

brance into the grave by the dead persons friends and ’

relatives Hen t zn er mentions in his Tr a vels ( 1 5 98 ) that in

.

English gardens the walls were fre quently covered with

“
rosemary and at Hampton Court he says : it was S O planted
,

and n ailed to the wall s as to cover the m entirely Gerard .

tells us wild rosemary groweth in Lancashire in divers

places especi ally in the fiel d e call ed Little Reede amongst
,

the Hurtleberries near unto a smal l village call ed Man d sl a y ,

there found by a learned gentleman Often remembered in

our History (an d that worthil y) Master Thomas Hesketh ,
”
.

Th e double fl ower ed rosemary is mentioned by Parkinson

-

in his P ar adi s i but he adds that it is more rare than all

,

the other because few have heard thereof much less seene ,

it and myself am not a q u ain ted with i t but am bold to -

deliver it upon credit It hath stronger stal ks not so c asie

.
,

to b r eak e fairer bigger and larger leaves of a faire greene

, ,

colour and the flowers as double as the Lar k es h eele or s pur r e .

This I have o nl y by relation which I pray you accept untill

”
I may by sight better en fo r m e you He describes the wood .

of rosemar y being used to make lutes or such like in s tr u

” ’
ments and also carpenters rules Rosemary flowers are
, . ,

as every one kn ows one of the most exquisite shades Of blue

,

ima ginable and the Spaniards say that the flowers were
,
1 08 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS
white originally but that ever since the Virgin Mary threw
,

her robe over them they have preserved the memory o i her -

having thus honoured them by turning the colour she wore .

~

According to another tradition ro semary was one of the

bushes near wh ich she sheltered during the flight into Egypt ,

and the Spanish name of the plant r omer o (the pil grim s flower) ’

preserv es this legend Throughout Spa in it is val ued for

.

i ts supposed power against magic and Borrow in the B i bl e

,

i n S pa i n describe d an incident showing the widespread belief

of the Spanish peas an ts in its protective power against the
evil eye It would be possible to fill a book with all the
.

Ol d herbalists have to say about rosemary but I give onl y ,

what one enthusiastic lover of this beautiful herb tells us of

how it S hould b e used .

Take the flowers thereof and boyle them in fayre water

and drinke that water for it is much wor th e agains t all
manner of evils in the body .

Ta k e the flowers thereof and make po wder thereof and

binde it to thy right arme in a linnen clo ath and it shal e
make thee ligh te and merrie .

Take the flowers and put them I n thy chest among thy
clothes or among thy B o o kes and Mothes shall not destroy
them .

Boyle the leaves in white wine and washe thy face

therewith and thy b r owes and thou shalt have a faire face .

Al so put the leaves under thy bedde and tho u shalt be

delivered of al l evill d r eam es .

Ta ke the leaves and put them into wine and it shall

“

k eepe the Wine from all sourness and evil l savours and if
thou wilt sell thy wine thou shalt have goode s pe ed e .

Also if thou be feeble boyle the leaves in cleane water

and washe thyself and thou sh al t wax shiny .

Also if thou have lost appet ite of eating boyle well

these leaves in cleane water and when the water is colde
put thereunto as much Of white wine and then m akes sops ,

eat them thereo f wel and thou shalt restore thy appetite
a ga in e .

“
If thy l egge s be blowen with go wt e boyle the le a ve s
1 10 A GA R DEN OF HE RBS
you see cause but no more Rose water put your flowers
,
-
,

therein when your sirup is cold or almost cold and let

—
,

them stand till they candy Sir Hugh Platt D eli ghts for .
,

La di es , 1 5 94 .

TO MA K E CO N S E RV E O F RO S E M AR —
Y F LOWE RS Take two
Pound O f R osemary fl o wer s
the same wei ght of fine Sugar -
, ,

pownd them well in a Stone Mortar ; then put the Conserve -

into well gl az d Gallipots It will keep a Year or two

-
’
. .

I bi d .

M
TO A KE R O S E AR M Y WATE R —Take a quarter Of a Po und
of Rosemary when it is at its Prime Flowers and Leaves , ,

a quarter of a Pound of Elecampane root half a handful Of -

,

R e d Sage six Ounces of An n i s e e d s and one Ounce and a

, ,

half Of Cl oves ; beat the Herbs together and the Spices ,

each by themselves put them to a gallon of Whi te Wine ; ,

and let them stand a Week to infuse then distill them I bi d , .

-
.

HU N GAR Y WATE R -
.
1
FRO M MR S . DU PO NT ,
OF LY ONs
W HI C H IS THE SA M E W HI CH , HA S BEE N FA MOU S , A BOUT
M ONTP E LI E R — Take to every gal l on of Brandy or clean
.
,

Spirits one handful of R osemary one handful of Lavender

, , .

I suppose the handfuls to be about a Foot long a piece

and these Herbs must be cut in Pieces about an Inch long .

Put these to infuse in the Spirits and with them about , ,

one handful of Myrtle cut as before When this has stood , .

three Days di stil it and you wi ll have the finest Hungary

, ,

Water that can be It has been said the Rosemary fl o we r s

.
-

are better than the Stal ks ; but they give a faintness to the
Water and should not be used because they have a quite
, ,

di fferent smell from the R o s emary nor shoul d the Fl o wers ,

of Myrt l e be used in lieu O f the Myrtle for they have a scent

ungrateful and not at all like the Myrtl e —R Br adley
,

, .
,

Th e Cou n tr y Hou s ew if e a n d La dy s D i r ector 1 7 3 2 “

’
.
,

1 In
t h e I m pe r i a l L i b r a r y a t V i e n n a t h er e is s til l pr e s e r v e d t h e
r e c e i t fo r t h e f a m o u s
p H u n g a r y W a ter w h i c h w as i n v e n te d f o r
-
”

Q u e en E li z a b e th o f H u n ga w h o s u ffe r e d fr o m p a r a l ys is a n d w h o
,

b y b e i n g r u b b e d e v e r y d a y w ith i t
,

i s s a i d t o h a v e b e en c u r e
Tr a d i ti o n s a ys th a t a h e r m i t g a v e th e Q u e en th i s r e c e i pt
.

.
 OF SUND RY HE RBS 111

S P I RI T O F ROS E MAR Y Gather a Pound and a half of .

-

the fresh Tops of Rosemary cut them into a Gallon of ,

c lean and fine Melasses Spirit and let them sta nd all Night ; ,

next Day distill Off five pints with a gentle Heat : this is
of the nature of Hungary Water but not being s o strong -
,

as that is usually made it is better for taking inwardly : ,

A Spoonful is a dose and it is good against all nervous

—
,

Complaint s From Th e Recei pt B ook of E li za beth Cl el and ,

I 75 9
TO —
M AKE S NOW Take a quart of thi c k . and Cr eam e ,

five or six whites of Eggs a saucer full of Sugar finely ,

beaten and as much R ose water beat them all togeth er -

,

and always as it riseth take it out wi th a spoon then take ,

a l oaf of Bread cut away the crust set it in a platter and

, , ,

a great Rosemary bush in the middest of it then lay your ,

Snow with a Spoon upon the R osemary and so serve i t , .

A B ook of F r u i ts a n d F l ower s 1 6 5 3 , .

RO S E M Y
AR TE A
One pint of boiling water poured
.
-
on

an ounce of the young tips .

RO S E MAR Y
W I NE .
—Infuse a bun ch of rosemary tips
(about six inches lo n g) in sound white Wine for a few days ,

when the wine will be fit to use .

RUE
Th e r e s r u e fo r y o u a n d h e r e s s o m e fo r m e ;
’ ’

We m a y c a ll i t h er b r a c e O S u n d a s
’ ”
g y .

I t is s et d o w n e b y d i v er s o f t h e An c i en s h a R e w d o h t t t t
p r o s p e r m t
u c h a n d b e c om e h s r o n e r i f it b e s et b t
y a Fi g g
tr ee wh i c h ( w e c o n c e i v e ) i s c a u s e d n o t b y r e as o n O f
t t
,

Fr en d s h i b u t b y e x r a c ti o n O f a c o n r a r j y ” t h
p
—
c
ii
u e e o n e
g fit B
,

d r a wi n j u y c e t
t o r e s u l s we e t h e o t h e r i t t e r t a co n ,
, .

S y l va S y l va r u m .

Th e W e as e l l w h e n sh e is to t
e n c o u n e r t h e s er pe n arms t
h e r s e l fe wi t h e a ti n g Of R ue .
” —W Co l e s , Th e A r t o
.
f
S i mpli n g 1 6 5 6
, .

B uy r u e, buy sa g e, b u y Mi n t
g g
,

B uy ru e, s a e, Mi n t ,
a f ar h i n t
a b u n ch .

Old L on d on S tr eet Cr y .
1 12 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS
Th e antidote which Mercury gave to Ulysses against the
beverage of the Enchantre s s Circe has always been sup
posed to be rue and from the earliest times rue has had
,

a wonderful reputation G al en we are told ate coriander .

, ,

and rue raw with Oil and s al t against infection and Dios
, , ,

—
co r id e s recommends the j uice as a co u nter poison Ru e .

was the chief constituent in the famous counter poison -

of Mithridates King Of Pers i a and in later days in th e

, ,

noted Vinegar Of the four thieves A ccordin g to tradi .

tion this vinegar enabled four thieves durin g the great ,

pl ague of Marseilles to enter all th e stricken houses with

,

impunity and carry o ff all they chose When gunpowder .

was first used in Europe it was a popular belief tha t if the

g u n -
fl i n t were boiled in rue and vervain the shot could not
miss Th e Ital ian peasants still believe in rue as a pro
.

t e cti on from the evil eye and many Of them wear it con ,

ce a l e d on their persons Th e name Herb of grace . is

by many believed to be due to the fact that holy water
was scattered with an aspergillum made Of rue but Britten ,

says there is no ground for this suppo sition To the first .

D uke Of Saxony Frederick Barbarossa in 1 1 8 1 gave the

,

right to bear a Chaplet of r u e on his arms and six centuries ,

later ( 1 8 07 ) the first King of Saxony created th e Order O f

the Crown of Ru e This order was conferred on King
.

George when he was Prince of Wales in 1 902 .

Ru e li kes a poor clayey loam mixed with calcareous

,

rubbish Sow the seeds in Mar ch or April or increase by

.
,

slips any time during spring Ru e must never be allowed .

to run to seed .

A P RE VE NTI V E A GAI NS T THE —

P LAG UE A handful each
,
—
O f r u e sage sweet briar and elder
,
Bru ise and strai n with .
"

a quart of white wine and put thereto a little ginger and

,

a spoonful Of the best treacle and drink th ereof mornin g

—
,

and evening Th e Good Hou s ewife s j ewel l 1 5 8 5 ’

, .
1 14 A GA R DE N OF HE R BS
Gar d en i n g a n d oth er Cu r i ou s
says of saffron M atter s
that the common method Of drying it in a kiln made of
clay with charcoal is not to be commended as it dries all ,

the v irtue out of the pl ant He recommends picking an .

ounce or two putting it in a bladder and carrying it about

,
'
,

till dry (they were leisurel y folk in those days l) which ,

”
small q u an ti ti e so dried hath been kept t wo years or more .

Saffron used to be made into balls with honey and when ,

thoroughl y dried these balls were po wdered .

Saffron likes a sandy soil It may be grown from seed .

or increased by o ffsets from the bulb in the early summer .

To MA KE S Y R U P
S AF F R O N —Take a pint of the best
OP
canary as much balm water and two ounces O f English
,
-
,

saffron ; open and pull the saffron very well and put it ,

into the liquo r to infuse let it stand close co v er d (so as ,

’

to be hot but not boil ) twelve hours ; then strain it out

as hot as you can and add to it two pounds of doubl e
,

refined sugar ; boil it till it is wel l incorporated and when ,

it is cold bottle it and take one spoonful in a litt l e sack

,

,
—
or small cordial as o ccasion serve s E Smith Th e Compl ea t .
,

Hou s ewife 1 7 3 6, .

SAGE
Ho w c an a m a n d i e wh o h as sa g e i n h is g ar d en ?
A r a bi a n P r over b

H e wh o w o u l d l i v e f o r ay e
Mu s t e at s a g e in Ma y .
”

Ol d E n gl i s h P r over b .

t k
A l s o a e s a e a n d m a r o r amg j
k
H i t s ch a l l t h e e p e i n s a v e t e e
S o u md e a n d c l e n e f o r t o b e e
y
Q u y k e n t h e v a me s a n d t h e m y n d e
A n d a ll t h y v e r u e s e p e i n t nde k ky
t t
Co m fo r t h e h e r e a n d e pe t h e s i h k g t
N o m a n o f e r t h e c a n e l l e h i s m y gh t e t .

F if teen th - Cen tu r y M S . H er ba l .

Th i s h e r b yf l e ft t o p u t r if y wi th t h e b l o o d O f a s er pe n t
or k
a b i r d l i e a o y s e l l i f i t b e to u c h e d o n y e b r e s t o f a m a n
fi y
,

he s h a l l l o s e h i s s e n ce o r f e l y n g e t h e s p a ce O f fte e n d a e s
 OF SU ND RY HE R BS 5

or moreA n d yf th e f o r e s a i d s e r p en t b e b u r n e d a n d t h e
y y
.

a s h e s o f i t p u t i n y e t r e , a n o n e s h a ll th e r e b e a r a n e b o w e
w i t h a n h o r i b l e th u n d e r A n d y f y e a f o r e s a id e a s h e s b e
.

p u t i n a lam p e a n d be i n d l ,
k
e d i t s h a l a pp e a r e th a t a l l t h e ,

h o u s e i s f u ll o f s e r p i n t s a n d th is h ath b ee n r oved o f men

—
, _

Th e B oke of th e S ecr ets of A l er tu s M a gn u s ,

”
o f l a te t y m e .

15 60 .

Ti s a p l a n t i n d ee d w i th s o m a n a n d wo n d e r f u l pr o
, , y
er ti e s a s th a t t h e a s s i d u o u s u s e o f i t i s s a i d t o r e n d e r me n
p
I m mo r ta l - . J
oh n E v e l n , A ceta r i a 1 6 9 9 y , .

From ti m e immemorial sage has been renowned for its

wonderful health giving properties Th e very name of the-
.

pl ant S al vi a means health and the Arabians have a proverb

, , ,

which was old in the days of Charlemagne : How can a

man die who has Sage in his garden ? Th e Chinese valued
this herb so highl y that the Dutch in old days c arried on a
profitable t r a d e b y exchanging sage for tea and for one
'

pound of dried sage leaves the Chinese gave three pounds

of tea Th e proper time of year to eat sage or to drink
.

sage tea is in spring and formerly country folk used to ,

eat quantities of it with bre ad and butter or bread and

cheese There is an old belief that where sage prospers
.

in a garden the woman rules and another that the plant ,

.

flourishes or withers according to the prosperity of the

master of the h ouse Sage used to be held in such repute .

that both bread and cheese were flavoured with it in the

making and one herbal doctor even advocated its use
,

instead of tobacco Red sage is rarely seen but what a .

,

handsome plant it is when well grown ! There are few

leaves more beautiful than its deep maroon coloured ones -
,

especially in early spring when they contrast so well with

the tender green of the young shoots Old fashioned .
-

co u ntry folk s ay that red sa ge never does Well unl ess _ _

the origin al S lip were planted by some one with a lucky

hand .

Sir John Hill tells us h e knew an old man Wh o had s ome

spe cial secret in preparing sage This Sir John Hill .
,

says, remained upon my mind and it brought into my ,

thoughts the mighty praises that had be en written of s age ,

1 16 A G A R DE N OF HE RBS
an d the lit tle that we see of it in comparison with the s e
wonders Th e Greek physicians had the highest opinion
.

of sage and they called it the sacred herb Wherever sage

, .

”
is found we read in early and late times equally its praises .

He goes on to say he remembered a woman of the little

town of Stanground near Peterborough S O old that for that
, ,

reason only she was called a witch About five yards .

square of ground enclosed with a mud wall before the

, ,

door of her little habitation was planted with sage and ,

’
twas not only her account but tha t of all the place that
she lived upon it Her exact age could not be known .
,

for she was older than the register but the people in general ,

remembered their fathers calling her the old woman In .

the cathedral church of Peterborough on the left hand ,

as one enters the great isle is a picture and monumental ‘

—
,

inscription of a man who was once sexton of the place I

—
think the name is Scarlet who lived so long in that o ffi ce
as to bury so says the inscription all the i nhabi tants of
, ,

the place twice over Th e full date of his age is not men .

t i on e d but he was cons idered by more than one generation

,

as a living miracle There is great reason to attribute this

.

also to sage for I remember to have seen at that place when

,

I was a boy a spot of ground near the churchyard where

there was at that time left against an Ol d south wal l of stone
the remainder of a broad oak bench which they then used ,

to call this old man s bed ; on this tis said he slept away’

almost the whole day during the latter years of his life , .

By it there were then and perhaps are still some antient , ,

tufts of sage and rue planted alternately which mixed ,

together he used to make his drink Pe ople there remember .

s till an old Latin line which he learned I suppose from , ,

s ome clergy of th e place and which he was continually

”
repeating Th e leaves and seeds of sage Sir John Hill
.
,

says possess the greatest powers

, I have b een engaged .

at times so m e years in this my garden at Bayswater ( I

than k God the King and my great Patron gives me ample
,

opportunity) Th e common red sage has the gre atest

.

virtue and als o that which Dioscorides says grows in barren

, ,
1 1 8 A GA R DE N OF HE R BS

and the eyes from dimness and make the la m p of life, so

”
long as nature lets it burn burn brightly , .

S AGE CRE A —
M Boil
a quart of cream pound red sage
.
,

in a mortar put into the cream a quarter of a pint of canary

, ,

and a quarter of a pint of Rose water with half a pound O f -

sugar After the same manner you may do by any sort of

—
.

good herb s From Th e R ec ei pt B ook of j os eph Cooper ,

Cook to Charles I 1 6 5 4 , .

S AGE —
WATE R Take sage flowers sprinkle them with ,

white wine or water Let them stand awhile Then

—
.
, .

distil them I bi d . .

CO NS E RVE OF —
S AGE Take new flowers of Sage one pound ,

Sugar one pound ; so beat them together very small in

a Marble Mortar put them in a vessel well gl as e d and
,

steeped set them in the Sun stir them d ay l y ; it will last

one year —Th e Qu een s Cl os et Open ed by W N Co ok
, ,
’
. .
,

to Queen Henrietta Maria 1 6 5 5 , .

S AGE TE A —Take a little sage a little Balm put it , ,

into a pan slice a Lemon peel and all a few k nobs of sugar
, , , ,

one glass of white wine ; pour on these two or three quarts

of boiling water ; cover it and drin k when thirsty When , .

you think it strong enough of the herbs take them out

—
otherwise it will make it bitte n Th e N ew A r t of Cooker y ,

by Richard Briggs many years Coo k at the Globe Tavern

, ,

Fleet Street the White Hart Tavern Holb om and a t the

, , ,

Temple Coffee Hou s e 1 7 8 8 , .

S AGE TE A .
—On an ounce of th e leaves (use the yo ung
tips) pour one pint of boiling water Half a pint to be .

taken at a time .

F or a S or e Th r oat : Pour half a pint of boiling vinegar

on to small handful of sage leaves and then inhale ; or ,

F or a S or e Thr oat or Cough Pour a pint of boilin g water

 OF S U ND R Y HE RBS 1 1 9

on a handful of sage leaves and when moderatel y cool add , .

a little vinegar and honey Take a teaspoonful at a time ; .

use also as a gargle .

S A GE —
W I NE Take thi rty pounds of Malaga raisins
picked clean and shred small and one bushel of green sage ,

shred small ; then boil five gallons of water and let it stand
til l it is lukewarm Put into a tub the water sage and
.
,

raisins let it stand five or six days stirring it two or three

, ,

times a day Then strain and press the liquor from the
.

ingredients put it in a cask and let it stand six months

, ,

then draw it clean o ff into another vessel Bottle it in .

two days and in a month or six weeks it will be fit to drink ;

,

but it is best when a year old .

SAMPI RE
Y o u ca n n o t p
r ovi d e to o m u ch o f h is e ce l l en t x t in
gr e d i e n t i n a ll c r u d e s a l l a d s
”
o h n E v e l n ,
A ceta
. r i u —J y ,
1 69 9 .

What woul d John Evelyn have said of our modern herb

gardens where no sampire is ever to be seen ? It used to
be called St Peter s herb perhaps because it grows on
.
’

rocks . Sampire no longer grows on the cliffs which

Shakespeare describes in K i n g Lear but it is found in Corn ,

wal l growing as it is traditionally supposed to grow j ust

, , ,

out of the reach of the waves but where the spray falls on ,

it In Tudor day s it was a favourite salad herb and was

.

grown in every garden Gerard says of it Sampire is the

.

’
pleasantest sauce most fami liar and best agreeing with man s
”
body . Th e young shoots may be eaten either fresh or
pickled
TO P I C K LE S AM PI RE —Ta k e sampire that is green and
.

has a s weet smell gathered in the month of May pick it

, ,

well lay it to soak in water and salt for ; two days after
, ,

wards put it into an earthen pot and pour to it as much ,

white wine vinegar as wil l cover it Put it into a saucepan

-
.
’

sit it over a gentle fire cover it close and let it stand till, ,

it is gre en and crisp b u t do not let it stand till it i s SOft

. .
1 20 A GA RDEN OF HE R BS
and tender Then put it into the pan again and tye it
—
.

down close for u s e J ohn Evelyn A ceta r i a 1 6 99 , , .

SAM P HI RE —
P I C K LE Let it be gathered about Michaelmas
or the Spring and put two or three hours into a Brine of
Water and Salt ; then into a clean pot in three parts of
strong wh ite wine Vinegar and one part of water and salt
-

as much as will cover the Samphire keeping the vapour

from issuing out by pasting up the Pot lid and S O hang it
over the Fire for hal f an hour only Being taken off let .

it remain co v er d till it be co l d and then put up into small

’

Barrel s O f Jars with the Liquor and some fresh Vinegar ,

Water and Salt ; and thus it will keep very green If you .

be near the Sea that water will supply the Brine This
is the Dover Re c eit —John Evelyn A c etar i a 1 6 99
.

. .
, ,

S CU RVY G RASS
This is a true herb of the sea for however far it grows
,

away from the coast it always has a salt taste It is sup .

posed to be the much praised Herba Britannica of the

-

old herbalists and all our great navigators bore testimony

,

to its wonderful virtues .

S C U RV Y TE A — Pour one quart of boil ing water on two

.

ounces of the whole plant in cluding the roots Mix with .

the j uice of Seville orange and take every day for six weeks
,

in spring.

S ALLE T O F —
S C U RV Y G RAS S Being finely picked short ,

well soaked in clean water an d swung dry dish it round ,

in a fine clean dish with capers and currans about it carved ,

lemon and orange round that and eggs upon the center
not boiled too hard and parted in halfs then o y l and
, ,

vinegar ; over all scraping sugar and trim the brim of the
—
dish From Th e Recei pt B ook of E l i za beth Cl el an d 1 7 5 9 , .

T0 M A K E S C U RV Y G RA S S W I NE —Take fresh Scurvy grass

- -

six Handfuls pown ed it well in a Mortar pour upon it

, ,

three quart s of Rheni sh Wine s et it in a c ool pl ace £01

,
“
1 22 A GA R DE N OF HE R BS
of two or three eggs with the j uice of spinach beat up thick ,

together and serve it up with this sauce ; garnish it with

s ome pretty cuts of puff paste or other with sugar scraped -

in i t I bi d
.
-
.

S KI RRE T —
M I LK Is made by boiling the
R oots tender
and the pulp strained out put into Cream or Mil k new ,

boiled with Ham or four yolks of eggs sugar large mace , ,

and other spice etc And thus is compo sed any other
—
.
,

root mil k John Evelyn A cetar i a 1 6 99 , , .

SK P YE
I RRE T .
—
Boil your biggest skirrets and blanch
and season them with Cinnamon nutmeg and a very little , ,

ginger and sugar Your pye being ready lay in your skirrets
.

season also the marrow of three or four bones with cinna

mon sugar a litt l e sal t and grated bread La y the marrow
, ,
.

in your pye and the yolks of hard eggs a handful of chest ,

nuts boiled and blanched and some candied Orange peel ,

-

in slices La y butter on the t op and lid your pye Let

. .

your caudle be white wine and sugar thicken it with the ,

yolks of eggs and when the pye is baked pour it in and

—
,

serve it hot Scrape sugar on t E Smith Th e Compl eat

. i . .
,

Hou s ewife ,
1 73 6 .

S K I RRE T FR I TTE Rs —Boil some skirret roots till they

.
-

are very tender take Off the outside a nd beat a pint of

, ,

the pulp very fine rub it through a sieve and mix it with
, ,

a large spoonful of flour and four eggs beat well sweeten it ,

with powdered sugar and put in a little grated nutmeg ,

and ginger and mix it into a thick batter (if a large spoonfu l
,

of flour is not suffi cient put in more ) ; have a pan of hogs

lard boiling hot drop them in with a spoon and fry them
, ,

quick and brown ; put them on a sieve before the fire to

drain a minute put them in a dish and garnish with Seville
oranges cut into quarters or dried sweetmeats —
, ,

Th e N ew , .

A r t of Cooker y by Richard Briggs many years Cook at

, ,

the Globe Tavern Fleet Street the White Hart Tavern , , ,

Hol born an d at the Te mpl e Coffee Hous e

, ,
 OF S U ND RY HE R BS 1 23

SMALLAGE
Smallage h a s little but its ol d fa s hio n ed name to r e com
-

mend it for it has a very disagreeable t aSt e It is wild

, .

celery and as Deth i ck e says

, It j o y e th in the shadow and
,

cometh well in any gro und Leave only a stem or two and
.

it will endure for ever without any weeding whatever .

Th e Ol d herbalists claim for it the same virtues as parsley ,

and it was formerly used in salads and in pottages .

S MALLAGE —
GR U E L I n a Marble Mortar beat great Oat
.

meal to meal (which r e quireth long beating) then boil it

three or four hours in Spring water To a posset full of .

t wo or three quarts of water put about half a Porrenger full

of Oat me al before it is beaten ; for after h eat i n g it appeareth
-
,

more To this quantity put as much Smallage as you buy

.

for a penny which maketh it strong of the Herb and very

,

green Chop the smallage excee di ng small and put i t in a

.

good half hour before you are t o take your posset from the
fire : You are to season your Gruel with a little salt at th e ,

due time ; and you may put in a little Nutmeg and Mace ,

to it When you have taken it from the fire put into it

.
,

a good proportion Of butter which stir well to incorpo rate

—
, ,

with the Gruel, when it is melte d Th e Cl os et of S i r K en elrn

D i gby Open ed 1 66 9 , .

SO RRE L
Both garden sorrel an d French sorrel are good pot
herbs b u t the French sorrel is not so bitter Formerly
, .

sorrel was eaten like spinach and it was commonly put in ,

soups also Mrs B ar d s well tells us that when no apples

. .

are forthcoming for appl e sauce sorrel leaves are a good .

substitute .

Sorrel seeds sho uld be sown in March ; French sorrel

likes a dry soil and garden sorrel plenty of moisture Both
, .

can be increased by division of roots in spring or autumn ,

.

S orrel pla y s a very i m portant part in Belgian coo kery ,

1 24 A GA R DE N OF HE R BS

and c onsequently the presence Of the Belgians in England

created a demand for it ; and during the autumn Of 1 9 1 6 it
could be bought very cheaply in London 1 d or 2 d a pound , . . .

It is an excellent substitute for spinach On e of the best .

recipes is to wash it in many waters as if it were spinach .

Then put it in a stew pan with a large lump of butter When

-
.

it is fairly dry add a little fine oatmeal salt pepper and a , ,

very little diluted meat e xtract Very carefully add two .

well beaten eggs and serve it with meat or with grilled fish
-
, .

Th e famous sorrel soup can be made with milk but is better ,

and cheaper with potatoes Th e sorrel is fried for a few

.

minutes in butter and then put in boiling water with the

,

potatoes cut up in smal l pieces Salt and pepper are added .

,

and the whole gently cooked and served without strainin g .

A very Ol d French cookery book published in 1 7 96 with , ,

the approbation and privilege of the ki n g says that ,

’

without any doubt at the end of September all good managers

will preserve sorrel for winter use as when properly done ,

it remains as good as fresh Th e method is very S imple . .

Th e sorrel with plenty of salt is cooked over a slow fire with

a large piece of butter until all the water drawn from it is
evaporated When it is hal f cold it is well pac ked into pots
.

and pressed down with a spoon When quite cold tepid .

,

dissol ved butter is poured over it and the pots are covered ,

and kept in a dry place Th e sorrel will keep until Easter

.
,

but once opened not more than three weeks It is not .

only healthy for winter use but extensively useful as it , ,

need only be put into hot stock to make good soup or be ,

heated in butter an d thickened with beaten eggs and a

little milk to form a delicious vegetable garnish —From .

an article in Tr u th November 1 9 1 6
, .

To TA KE STAI NE S O U T O F O NE S HAN D S P RE S E NTL Y —

You
.

may do this with the i u y ce , of Sorrel] washing the stained

,

parts therein .

E GG S W I TH THE J U I CE O F —
S ORRE L Poach your Eggs in
.

boiling Water ; and having pounded so m e Sorrel put , th e

1 26 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS
Water make it boil ; then put in your Sorrel giving it a
, ,

Scald then take it out squeezing it as h ard as you do ,

Spinage and drain it Put it into a Sauce pan and some

, .
-

thin Cu llis of Veal and Ha m ; Sea s on it with Salt an d

Pepper and set it a S immering over the Fire : When it
,

has simmered enough put to it some Essence of Ham This

, .

may be us d in all those dishes in which you use Sorrel

’
.

I bi d .

SO UTHE RNWOOD
Southernwood or Lad s Love is nearly al ways to be found
,
’

in old fashioned gardens but not often in modern ones

-
, .

It has a most invigorating scent and French people use it ,

to keep moths out of clothes ; hence one of its French

names Garde robe , Sir John Hill says of Field Southern
-
.

wood that It wants but to be more common and more

known to be very highly valued .

S O UTHE R NWO OD TE A —Clip four ounces of the leaves fine

.

and beat them in a mortar with six ounces of loaf sugar

ti ll the whole is l ike a paste Three times a day take the
”

b i gn es s e of a nutmeg of t h is It is pleasant and one thing .

in it is parti c ular it is a composer and always d isposes pe rsons

to slee p —Sir John Hill Th e B r i ti s h Her bal 1 7 7 2
,

.
, ,

SPEEDWE LL
About two centuries ago the opinion was s o prevalen t
that this plant cured gout that speedwell was in a manner
destroyed for many miles about London But we mode m s .

seem to have lost our faith in the virtues of this l ovely wild
herb and o nly very old fashioned cottagers make speedwell
,
-

tea nowadays .

S P E E D WE LL TE A One pint of boilin g water po ured on to

.

one ounce Of the plant .

 OF SU ND R Y HE RBS 1 27

STRAWBE R RY
Th e n u n to Lo n d o n I d y d m e h y e
Of a l l t h e l a n d i t b e a r e th t h e pr s e y
H o t pe s co d es o n e b e a n t o c r e g y
y
S tr a b e r y r pe a n d c h e r r y e s i n t h e r s e
D ”
y
g
.

L y d a t e , L on d on Ly ckpe ny .

Wi fe to g
t h y a r d e n a n d s e t m e a pl o
un t
Wi t h
s tr aw b er y r o o es o f th e b e s t
t o b e go t t
g g gt
,

S u c h r o wi n a b r o a d e am o n h o m e s i n t h e w oo d ,
g
,

k
W e ] c h o s e n a n d pi c e d p r o o v e e c e ll e n o od ”
x t .

Tu s s er , F i ve H u nd r ed P oi n ts of Good H u s ba n d r y, 1 5 8 0 .

R ar e ri
pe s rta w b e r r ies an d
Ha u t b o y i xp
s S e n ce a po tt l e
F u ll t o t h e b o o m h a u b o stt t y
g
.

t
S r a w b e r r i e s a n d c r e am a r e c h ar m i n a n d s w ee , t
t
Mi x h e m an d tr y h o w d e l i h t fu l h e e a t ”
g t y .

Old L on d on S tr eet Cr y .

Until the nineteenth century our present garden straw

berry was unknown i n England Till then wild straw .

berries were cultivated and improved in size and flavour ;

as Hill writing in the reign of James tells us Th e straw
, , ,

berry requires smal] labour but by diligen ce of the gardener

becometh so great that the same y eeld e th faire and big
Berries as Berries of the Bramble in the hedge Th e Berries .

in Summer time eaten with cr ea m e and sugar is accounted

a great refreshing to men but more commended being
eaten with W
,

ine and sugar D eth i c k e s ays Certaine .

,

s kilful men by dil igence and care procure the berries to

alter from the proper red coloure into faire white delectable ,

to the eye .He also points out the marvell ous innocency
of this herb though divers venemous th ings creep over the
,

herbes yet are they in no manner infected with a n y v en em

ous contagion which is a note that the herbe (of pr o per ti e)
,
.

hath no a ffl n i ti e with poyson Form erly an excellent tea .

was made from wild strawberry leaves a n d the German ,

government are recommending their people to revive this

custom A Tea was also made from equal qu antities of
.

strawberry leaves and woodruff Strawberry l eaves were .

commonl y a dded to cooling drinks the leaves were also ,

strongly recommended to be used in baths for those who

1 28 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS

suffered fro m gr eV I ou s aches and payn es of the h yppes ,

and the j uice of wild strawberries was used as a complexion

wash Strawberry wine was a favourite with Sir Wal ter
.

Raleigh .

Coles in Th e A r t of S i mpl i ng ( 1 6 5 6 ) gives th i s advice :

Among strawberries sow here and the re some Borage seed
and y o u shall fin d e the strawberries under those leaves farre
more larger than their fellowe s .

FO R FACE WAS H —Take a quart of wild strawberries

A ,

Wild tansy three pintes of new Milke Still all these

together and wash your face therein —
.
,

The Good Hou s ewife s

’
.

Han dma i d , 1 5 85 .

S W B E R R Y AN D
TRA a e four quarts of —
A LM O ND TANS Y I k .
’ ‘

new milk and half a pound Of the sweet almond flour two
, ,

ounces of l emon j uice and half a pint of strawberry j uice .

Put to these two pounds of fine sugar and a quar t of Canary .

Stir them together and beat them till they froth and ,

become of a pleasant col o ur I bi d .

-
.

—
S TRA W B E RRY LE AF TE A Ou two large handfuls of the
.

young leaves pour a quart of boiling water .

S TRAW B E RR Y AN D W OODR U F F equal quanti TE A —Ou

ties of young strawberry leaves a n d woodruff pour one quart
of boiling water .

A COR DI AL WATE R O F S I R WALTE R RALEI G H —Take a

gallon of Strawberries and pu t them into a pinte of a qu a
,

vi tae let them stand so four or five days strain them gently
, ,

out and sweeten the water as you please with fine Sugar
, , ,

or else with perfum e .

—
S TRAW B E RRY WATE R TO a quart of water you must
have a pound of strawberries which squeeze I n the same
water then p ut in four or five ounces of sugar with some
,

lemon j uice ; if the le m ons are large and j uicy one lemon is
enough to two quarts of water All bein g well mixed put it .
1 30 A GA R DEN OF HE R BS

TA NS Y P U DD I NG —Blanch and pound a quarter of a po un d

.

of Jordon a lmonds put them into a stew pan add a gill of

, ,

a syrup of Roses the crumb of a French ro ll some grated

, ,

nutmeg half a glass of brandy two tablespoonfuls of tansy

, ,

j uice three ounces of fresh butter and some slices of citro n

, .

Pour over it a pint and a half of boiling cream or milk ;

sweeten and when cold mix it add the j uice of a lemon and ,

—
i

eight eggs beaten It may be either bo y led or baked I bi d

. . .

TAN S AM BER Y CA KE S —
Al m onds
Blanch a pound of ,

steep them in a pint of cream po und the m in a m ortar , ,

add to them the yolks of twelve and whites of S i x eggs ,

put in half a pint of j uice of spin age and a quarter of a

pint of juice of Tansy add to it grated Bread ; swee ten it ,

with sugar to your palate fry it in swee t Butter and keep

it stirring in the Pan till it is of a good thickness strew
sugar over it and serve it u p — From Th e Rec ei pt B ook of .

J oh n N ott Cook to the,Duke of Bolton 1 7 3

2 , .

TO MAKE
A P P LE TANS Y Pare your apples cut them
AN .
-
,

in thin round Slices fry them in Sweet B utter ; then beat

,

half a score of eggs with a quart of cream the j uice of spi nage ,

and Tansy of each a quarter of a pint and a little Rose ,

water ; when these are all beaten together pour them on your
apple s —I bi d

A GOOD TANS Y —Take se ven eggs and leaving out two

.

whites and a pint of Cream some Tansy Thyme Sweet

, , ,

Marj oram Parsley Strawberr y leaves all shred very small

, , ,

a little n utmeg add a plate of grated white Bread let these

, ,

be mixed all together then fry them but not t oo brown , .

I bi d .

TANS Y PANCAKE S Put four spo onfuls of flour into an

.
-

earthen pan and mix it with h alf a pint of cream to a smoo th

,

batter beat four eggs well and put in with two ounces of
, ,

powdered sugar and bea t all well together for a quarter of

,

an hour ; then put in two sp oonsful of th e j ui ce of spinach

and one of tansy a little grated nutmeg mix all well
, ,
 OF SUND R Y HE RBS 13:

together and fry them with fresh bu tter ; garnish them

,
-

with Seville oranges cut in quarters and strew powdered

—
,

s gar over the m Th e N ew A r t of Cooki ng by Richard

u ,

Bri ggs many years Cook at the Glob e Tavern Fleet

, ,

Street the White Hart Tavern Holbo m and at the Temple

, , ,

Coffee House 1 7 88 , .

TO MAKE P LAI N A TAN S Y —Take a fine s tale penny loaf

.

and cut the crumb in thin shaves ; put it in a b ewl then ,

b oil a m u tchkin of cream and when boiled pour it over the

,

bread then cover the bowl with a plate and let it lie a
, ,

quarter of an hour ; the n mix it with eight eggs well beaten ,

two gills of the j uice of spinage two spoonfuls of the j uice

o f tansy and sweeten it with sugar nutmeg and a little , ,

brandy : rub your pan with butter and put it in it ; then

“

keep it stirring on the fire till it is pretty thick ; then put

it in a b utter d dish ; you may either bake it or do it in the
’

d r i pin g pan under roasted mea t —Fro m The Rec ei pt B ook

,

of E li za beth Cl el an d 1 5
7 9 , .

TA RR AGO N
Tarrag on is a comparative newcomer in the herb garden ,

for it was first grown (a nd then only in the R oyal gardens )

in Tudor days Evelyn says that the tops and yo ung
.

shoots l i ke those of Rocket must n ever be excluded fro m

Ti s highly cordi al and friendly to the h ea d h ear t
’
s allets.
, , ,

and liver One old herbalist gives the strange advice

.

that whe n tarragon is a foot high it should be ta ken up and

put back into the same hole in order to ma ke it grow better I
TARRAGO N VI NE GAR —Strip the Tarragon from th e st al ks
.
,

put it into a Pot with White wine and Vinegar in equal

-
,

quan tities ; s top it up close and keep it for us e .

THIS TLE
Both the mil k thistle and the blessed thistle wer e used
by our ancest ors the former as a vegetable and the latter
,

as a tonic and Evelyn in h is Acetar i a s a ys that to a s alad

, , ,
1 32 A GA RDE N OF HE RB S
of this tle leaves the late Morocco Ambassad or and his
retinue were very partial Th e leaves of th e milk thistle
.

s h o w of their prickles were not only an ordinary ingredient

in a salad but they were also boile d and Tryon says of them
, , ,

th ey are very wholesome and excee d all other greens in

tas te . They W ere also added to Pottages baked in pies , ,

like artichoke bottoms and fried Culpepper advises one

, .

to cut off the prickles unl ess you have a mind to choke ,
”
yourself b ut in Olden days both the scales and the roots
,

we r e eaten Th e young stalks peeled were eaten both fresh

.
, ,

and boil ed .

M I LK THI S TLE S TA LK s Th e young stalks about May being

.
-

peeled and so aked in water to extract the bitterness , boiled

or raw are a very wholesome sallet eaten with oy l salt and ,

peppe r B oil them in wat e r with a little salt till the y are
'

very so ft and so le t them dry to drain They are eaten .

Wi th fresh bu tter melted not too thin and th is a delicate and

wholesome dish .

O ther stalks of the same kind may be so treat ed as the

Bur being tender and disarmed of i ts prickle s John —
Evelyn A cetar i a 1 69 9
, , .

THYME ~

I k n o w a b a n k wh e r eo n t h e w il d th y me
x
W h e r e o l i ps a n d t h e n o d d i n v i o l e t r ows g g
Q u it e o v er -c an o pi e d w i th l u s h wo od b i n e
g
,

k
Wi th s we e t m us -r o s es a n d w ith E l an ti n e .

M i ds u mmer N i gh t s D rea m, I I ’
. II .

Thy meis perhaps th e cleanest s melling herb and

, , ,

even in winter it seems to r a di at e th e war mth and sunlight

‘

it has absorbed during the hot summer months Li ke fox .

glove and wood-sorrel Wild thyme has always been a ,

fa v o urite with fa I r ies an d bees too love thym e One old , , .

herbalist tells us the owners of Hives have a per fit e fore

sight and knowledge What the incre ase or y eeld e of Honey
Will bee ev er ie y ea r e by the plentiful] or small number of
fl owers growi ng and appearing in the Thyme abo ut th e
su mmer sols tice .
 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS

VIO LET
V i ol e ts d i m,
B u t s weeter th an th e l i d s Of J un o s e
’
y es .

Wi nter '
s Ta le, I V .

y
F r o m t h e m e a d o ws o u r wa l s h av e l e ftk s o s we e t
Th at, wh e n e v er a Mar c h wi n d s i h s , g
j y
H e s e ts t h e e w e l p r i n t o f o u r fe e t
y
I n vi o l e ts b l u e as o u r e es ”
y .

TE N N Y S O N .

Na tu r e
Wh o gl i g tl y y t
n e v er n e en e
F as hi o n e d a n A p il i l t
r v o e
N o r wo ul d fo r gi d i d J d i l
v e, un e s c os e
l y th
”
U n c er em o n i o u s e r os e
W WATS ON
.

. .

Th e violet has for centuri es been the emble m of con

s t a n cy, and there is an old English sonnet in which the
lines o ccur
V i o l e t i s fo r fa i t h ful n e ss e
Wh ic h i n m e s h al l ab i d e .

Both in ancient an d modern days in the East and the ,

West the violet has always been a favourite flower There

, .

is an Ol d Eastern proverb : Th e excellence of the vi olet is

‘

”
as the excellence of El Islam above all other religions Th e .

French pe ople from the earliest days have always loved

violets In Troubadour days at Toulouse the prize awarded
.

to the author of the best poem was a golden violet , and

“
Eleanor of Aquitaine refers to this old custom in Becket
Y ou kn ow I wo n t h e v i ol e t at Toul o u s e .

From the earlie s t times herb alists have lauded the V irtues
of the flowers and leaves of violets Pliny bestowed high .

praise on them and amon gst the Persians and Romans

,

violet wine was a favour ite beverage In Tudor days .

syrups conserves and paste of violets were much r ecom

,

mended for delicate pe ople and the leaves were used in

,

salads and pottages It is the s weet smelling wild violet

.
-

( not the dog violet ) which possesses the Virtues .

V I O LE T TE A .
—
Half _
a pint of boiling water po ured on a
handful of the fresh or dried leaves .
 OF SUND RY HE RBS 1 35

VI O LET LE AVE S at the entrance of spring fried brownish

,

and eaten with Orange or L emon Juice and Sugar is one

—
of the most agreeable of all the herbaceo us dishes John
Evelyn A ceta r i a 1 699
, , .

T0 MAKE S I RR O P OF V I O LE Ts
gather a gr eat .
—First
quantity of violet flowers and pick them clean from the
s t al k es and s e t them on the fire and put to them s o much

r ose water as you think good

-
Then let them boil all together
.

until ] the colour be forth of them Then take them o ff the .

fire and strain them through a fine cloth then put so much ,

suger to them as you th i n k e good then set it again e to the ,

fire until it be somewhat thick and put it into a violet

glass e —Th e Good Hou s ewife s J ewell 1 5 8 5 ’

, .

To M K
A E HO NE Y OF V I O LE TS —Th e Honey of Violets i s
.

m ade like the honey of Ro s es , m aking three inf usions and ,

the first infusion being strained b oyle as much honey with

—
,

it and at the las t s cu mm it Th e Cha r i ta bl e P hy s i ti a n

, e .
,

by Ph ilbert Guibert Ph y s iti an Regent in Paris 1 6 3 9

, , .

See under Honey of Roses .

CO NS E RVE O F V I M
I O LE TS , THE th e TA LI AN A N NE R —Take
leaves of blew Violets separated from their stalks and gr eens ,

beat them very well in a stone Mortar with twice their ,

weight of s ugar and r eserve them for your use in a gl ass

—
,

ve s sel Th e Qu een s Cl os et Open ed b y W M Co ok to

’
.
.
,

Q ue e n H enrietta Maria 1 6 55 , .

TO M AKE V I O LE T CAKE S — Wet double r efin d Sugar and ’

bo il it till it i s al most come to Sugar again ; then put into

,

it Ju ice of Violets ; put in Juice of Lemons this will make ,

them lo ok red ; if you put in Juice and Water it will make

them look green If you will have them all blue put in
—
.
,

the Juice of Violets with out the Lemon Fro m The Recei pt
B ook of J oh n M i ddl eton 1 73 4 , .

V I O LET TAB LE T —Steep violet flo wers in lemon j ui ce till

.

the colour is deep enough Add sugar and boil to candy .

hei ght and cut into cake s b efore it is quite cold .

1 36 A GA RDEN OF HE RBS
—
V I OLE T S YR U P Macerate pounds of fresh viol et s in
. two
five pin ts of distilled water for twenty four hours Strain -
.

the liquor through a cloth and add double refined sugar ,

and boil to a syrup .

V I OLE T V I NE GAR .
-
Infu se violet flowers in o rdinary
vinegar .

WOOD RU FF
Why has d ried woodruff gone out of fa shion ? Time seems
to have no e ffect on it and for ye ars the whorl like leaves,
-

retain their exquisite perfume Perhaps one sees woodru ff .

in gardens S O seldom b ecause it is only the dried leaves

which have such a l ovely scent Formerly dried woodruff .
,

leaves were put in quantities in the pierced boxes of sweet

scents which were so fashionable for perfuming roo ms in
,

Q ueen Eli zabeth s day Gerard says ’

O f woodru ff that .
,
‘
hanged up in houses it doth very well attemper the aire, ,

coole and make fresh the place to the delight and comfort
of su ch as are therein It was one of the most commonly
.

used herbs in garlands for church decorations and it was ,

always put in sweet bags for the linen press Its bruised .

leaves were laid on cut s and woodruff tea was esteemed ,

an excellent cordial drink .

W O O DR U F F TEAis m ade of the whole herb (leaves an d

flowers ) On a large handful pour a pin t o f boil i ng water
. . .

See als o under Strawberry .

WOOD SO RRE L -

Th e r e i s b a n k ( I l o v e i t we l l )
a
Wh er e cl i m b s t h e s o r r e l o f t h e
H e r e b r e ath e s h o w fr a i l l a pu c e -v e i n e d b e ll ,
y
,

Th e r e s n o w d 1 00ps i t s c r u m pl e d h ood
g
.

Wi th n o tte d r o o ts o f t i n c tu r e d s tr i n s
k
A t e n d e r t a pe s tr i t w e a v e s y
g g g
,

Wh i l e fo l d i n b a c l i e s o ft r e e n win s
k k ”
Th e l a ppe ts o f i t s c l o v e n l e a v e s .

CHARLE S A F o x . .

Wood sorrel has a number of pretty names —Allel uia

-
,

Lugula Cu c koo b r e ad Fairy Bells Stubwort

, It owes the
, , .
1 38 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS
as much as a lion scorns to meddle with a m ouse
cl o ath s
”
,

or an eagle with a fly
“

Sir Joh n Hill was very sco r nful

.

of those who used any var iety of wormwood except t h e

R oman NO such herb is br o ught to market : they sell
sea wormwood a nauseo us bitter in its place and the true
, ,

medicine though possessed of all its virt ues has thus l ost
,

much credit All the time there is no plant more hardy

.

than true Roman wormwood none more e asily propagated ,

in the open ground ; b ut the physician overlooks the abuse

”
and long neglect has made the other a universal substitute .

He ascribes the capacity of the Germ ans for eating so much

to the fact that between every mouthful they drank a d eco c
tion of Roman wor mwood in th at way they eat for hour s
”
together .

T0 MAKE S U GAR O F W ORMWOOD M I NT ANI S E E D OR A NY , , ,

OTHE R O F THAT K I NDE Take double refined Sugar and

.
-
,

doe but wet it in fair water or Rose water and boy] it to ,

-
,

a Candy w hen it is alm ost b o y led take it o ff and stir it till

, ,

it be cold ; then drop in three or four drops of the oy l s of

what s oever you will make and stir it well ; then drop it on
—
a board being befo re sifted with Sugar Th e Qu een s Cl os et _ .
’

Open ed by W M Cook to Queen Henrietta Maria 1 6 5 5

, . .
, , .

TO MAKEW MWOOD OR half a Pound of —

WATE R Bruis e
Liquorish and half a Pound of An n i s eed s well and put
, ,

them into two Gallons of port Wine ; put in also two or three
Handful s of Roman Wormwood ; let the m infuse for twelve
Hours then distil them in an Al emb i ck ; or you may infuse
—
,

the Ingredient s in Brandy and di stil them I bi d . .

To M AK E W ORMWO OD W I NE Take two Pounds of d r y d .

-
’

Wormwood two gallons of Rhenish Wine let the Worm wood

, ,

lye I n it to digest for three or four Month s shaking the Vessel ,

often ; when it is settled decant the clear Tincture for use

, .

W ORMW OOD B RAND Y — P u t an o u nce of the s e flowers

.

with a pint of B r andy and let it s tand s i x wee ks There

”

.
 OF SUND RY HE RB S 1 39

will be a tincture produced of which a tables poon should be

—
taken in half a gill of water Sir John Hill Th e B r i ti s h
. ,

H er bal ,
1 77 2 .

YA RROW
I yi
r o s e e ar l t h e m or n in
n gy t
e s er d a , y
I pl u c e kdy a r r o w fo r t h e h o r o s c o pe o f t h y t
al e
t t g t
I n t h e h o pe h a I m i h s e e t h e d es i r e o f m y h ear t .

t
O ch on e h e r e was s e e n h e r b a c kt
o wa r d s m e
”
.

A n old r au m s u n g i n th e H ebr i d es .

Th e old song quoted ab ove refers to the story of a certain

bard who fell in love with a girl in Storno way who married ,

another He was always conj uring up her image and every

. ,

Wednesday he composed a song to h er till he pined away and

became so small that his father had t o carry him in a creel
on his back Yarrow from time immemorial has been u s ed
.

in incantation s and by witches and in the seventeenth century

,

a witch was tried for using it Yarr ow is an aboriginal .

English plant and by many country people is still accounted

,

one of the most valuable of o u r British herbs and the y still ,

drink the Old Yarrow tea for c olds and rheu m atism .

YARROW TE A — 0n a large handful of the ro ots leaves and

.
,

flowers of yarrow po ur one pint of b oiling water .

 CHAP TE R IV

OF SA LLETS
I n H e a l t h i f S a ll e t H er b s y o u c a n t en d u r e ,
’

k y
,

S i c , o u l l d e s i r e th e m o r f o r F o o d Cu r e
’
,
or .

Old P r over b .

Co l d h e r b e s n o w wh o l s o m b e e
B u t l e t n o b l oo d i n a n y Wis e
By r un n in gs t r e am a n d s h a d o w t r e e
y
,

k
Th y b oo e t h o u m a e s t w e l l e xe r c i s e
J y
.

R a m s L i ttle D od oen 1 60 6
’
ul , , .

We p r es e n t yo u a t as t e O f o u r E n gl i s h ga r d en H o u s e
wi ft y i n t h e m a tt e r o f S a l l e ts A n d t h o u gh s o m e o f t h e m
m a y b e v u l ga r ( as a r e m o s t o f t h e b e s t th i n gs ) y e t w e i m pa r t
.

th em t o s h o w t h e P l en ty R i c h e s a n d v a r i ety o f t h e S a ll et
An d t o j u s t i fy wh at h as b e e n as s e r t e d O f t h e
, ,

G a r d en
y g y
.

p o s s i b i l i t o f l i v i n ( n o t u n h a
”—
pp i l ) o n H e r b s a n d P l a n ts
a c c o r d i n g t o D i v i n e i n s ti t u ti o n J oh n E v el yn A cetar i a
.
, ,

1 699 .

S TOC K DOVE S pheasants and partridges one Ol d her

-
, ,

b al i s t says are the best sallet gatherers in the way of

,
-

picking tender young sal lets and in their crops we fin d the

,

very tenderest of young buds and even fir s t ru d im en ts of

'

several plants Though we may not care to i n clud e in our

.

modern salads all the green food picked by these birds we ,

might with advantage r e introduce the herbs and flowers our

-

forefathers used Some of the ir salad s as may be seen in

.
,

the receipts were very magnificent a ffairs indeed and the

, ,

principal ornament of the banqueting table but even the ,

ordinary ones with their numerous daintily arranged ingre

d i en t s and s trewings of edible flowers must ha ve been
fascinating to look at John E velyn the writer of A cetar i a
.
, ,

was a great authority on salads and he tells us t h at the ,

Potagere was in s uch reputation that she who neglected h er

1 4 0
1 42 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS

Field and th e Good Wife s Garden whe re they ar e legit i ’

,
‘

”
mately born and without forcing Nature .

Th e number and variety of the ingre dients in the old

s alad would astonish most modern cooks Even in the .

seventeenth cent u ry Evelyn deplored how far we we re

,

behind the French and Italians who gath e r anything ,

almost that is tender to th e very tops of Nettles s o as every ,

Hedge a ffords a sall et (not unagreeable ) and seasoned with ,

Vinegar Salt and Oil which gives it both the Relish and Name
—
,

—
of Salad Ensalada as with us of Sallet from the sapidity
which f enders not Plants and Herbs alo n e but men t hem
, ,

selves pleasant and agreeable And why should we not .

revive th es e excellent old salads ? Why do not our modern

cooks decorate our salads with strewings of rose petals violets , ,

primroses gilly fl ower s cowslips and the flowers of elder

, , , ,

orange rosemary red sage angelica nasturtium wild thym e

, , , , , ,

bugloss and marigold All these flowers and man y others

.
, ,

are full of virtue and most wholesome That the y might .

not be wanting in winter salads many of them were pres erved

in vinegar or candied and s ometimes instead of having th e
,

flowers whole they were chopped and mingled together .

Besides the fl owers which were the most ornamental part

,
.
,
”
the furniture and materials consis ted of an astonishing
, ,

number of roots stalks leaves and buds whi ch we never

, , ,

think of u sing We know it was the opinion of Ja mes I I S

’
.

head gardener that there should be at least th irty fiv e ingre -

d ie n t s in an ordinary salad He would have had a poor .

opinion of the modern gardener s contribution to th e sa lad

’

bowl Numbers of roots were included such as the ele ca m

. ,

pane daisy fennel angelica rampio n pars nip carrot and

, , , , , , ,

they were frequently blanched or candied or si m ply boiled ,

and added when cold or pickled Then for the green there .

were s owth is tle leaves to which Evelyn te lls us the Amb as

,

sad or from Morocco and his Retinue were so part ia l y oung ,

spinach and Wild s uccory leaves tansy very sparingly ,

because of its domineering relish and much fitter for th e

‘
pan being qualified with the j uices of other fresh herbs
,

y oung pri mr os e and vi olet leave s tarragon and roc ket leaves ; ,
 OF SA LLETS
‘

1 43

the tops of red sage with their flowers they retain all
the noble properties of the other aromati c plants—a plant
endued wi th so m any wonderful properties as that the
ass iduous use of it is said to render men immortal the
young tops of h yssop thyme marigold and marj oram , , ,

Jack b y the hedge or Sauce alone the tips of lee ks

- - -
, a
little shred comes not amiss in compo sition lettuce Galen
s ai th it breeds the most laudable blood and the great ,

Emperor Augustus attributing his recovery of a dangerous

sic knes s to them it is repo rted he erected a statue and built
‘
,

an altar to this noble plant young mallow leaves merc ury , ,

salad burnet purslane c om salad cowslip leaves cresses

, ,
-
, ,

q uicke n ing the torpid spirits w hen th e tender leaves

flo wers and seeds are laudably mixt with the colder Plan ts
young basil b orage and bugloss leaves chervil never to be
, ,

wanting in sallets as long as they may be had being exceed ,

in gl y wholesome and Ch ear i n g the samphire you

cannot provide too much of this excell ent ingredient
o x eye daisy leaves
-
plantain and yarrow vine tendrils
, , ,

wo od sorrel young cabbage leaves s hred finely and scurvy

, ,

grass Ashen key broom and elder buds pickled were all
.
,

c omm on ingredients and sometimes they had the candied

,

buds of fl owers Evelyn was some what conte m ptuous of

.

beet root an d descri be s it as being of quality cold and

-
,

moist but sometim es commen d able with wine and pepper

, .

Evidently the English did not serve it shred for like other ,

writers he comments on the I talian and French custom of

paring it contrived into curious figures to ad orn their
,

s allet s .

And then what care must be ta ken in preparing the s al ad !

Let your Herby ingredients be e xquisitely cull d and
’

clean s ed of all worm eaten slimy cankered dry spo tted or ,

any ways Vitiated Le ave s And then that they b e rather

.

discree tly sprinkled than o ver much s ob d with spring water ’

( could a French chef be more particular ? ) especially lettuce .

After washing le t them remain a while in the cullender to

drain the s uperfluous m oisture an d las tly swing the m all
together gently in a clean co ar s e Nap kin Then th e Oy l
, .
1 44 A GAR DEN OF HE RBS
must be very clean n o t highly colo ured nor yellow but with
, ,

an eye rather of a pallid o live green without smell or th e

least touch of rancid or indee d of any other sensible t a ste
—
or s mell at all but smooth light and pleasant upo n th e
,

tongue Th e vinegar to be of the best wine vinegar and

.

i m pregnated with the infusion of clove gilli fl ower s Elder ,

R oses R o se mary Nasturtium and thus enriched with the

, ,

Vi rtues of these Plants Th e Salt to be of the brightest

.

and only enough put in to give them the grateful s al in e

acrid Th e sugar to be of the be st refined Th e mustar d
. .

( a noble ingredient ) to be o f the best Tewkesbury or else

composed of the soundest and weightiest Yorkshire Seed ,

exquisitely sifted winn o w d and free from the husks a little

’

( d
) y d m d
’ ’
n o t over much r by the fire t e pe r to ,the co n sistence
of a pap with Vinegar in which shavings of the Horse Radish
have been steeped Then cutting an onion and putting
.

it into a small earthen gally po t or some thick glass of that

shape pour the Mustard over it and close it very well with
a cork There be who preserve the Flower and Dust of
.

the bruised seed in a well stocked glass to temper an d ha ve

-

it f resh when they please But what is yet by some estee med
.

beyond all these is composed of th e d r y d s eeds of the Indian

’

Nasturtium reduced to Powde r finely b olt ed fro m time to ,

time made fresh as indeed all other mustard sh ould b e .

Th e seeds to b e pounded in a m ortar or bruis ed wi th a

polished cannon bullet i n a large wooden Bowl or Dish or
which 15 most preferred ground I n a quern provided for thi s
purpose only Th e peppe r whether wh ite or black not t o
.

be bruised to too small a dust Better than ordinary Pepper

.

is the root of the Burnet s a xefr age and extolled by some

”
beyond all other peppe r s and ve r y wh olesome For strew .

ings and aro matis es the y used grated orange and le mo n

”
,

rind or saffron ( a noble cordial but so apt to prevail ab ove

,

eve r ything we little encourage it admittance into o ur s allet )

, .

T o all this they added the yol k s of fresh and new - laid e ggs

boiled only m oderat ely hard and mashed or cut int o qu arters

For the act u al ma king of t h e sa lad the cleares t dir e cti ons
1 46 A G A RD E N OF HE R BS

and no wonder one h er b ali s t wr ite s Le t non e despise our

’

Sallet Dresser or disd ain so clean innocent and sweet and

”
n a t u r a ll a Q uality Then lookin g back to a still more
.

h alcyon age he adds regretfully Al l the world were eaters , ~

an d compos ers of sallets in its be s t and brightest age .

SA LLE T FOR F I S H DAI E S in flake s laid round .

—
Onions
about the dishe ; with minced carrots laid in the middle
o f the dish with b o y le d hips in five parts like a oken leafe
,

made an d garnished with tansey long cut with oyle and

—
vinegar Th e Good Hou s ewife s J ewell 1 5 8 5
.
’

, .

To MAKE
S ALLET OF ALL K
A H I NDE O F E ARB E s .
—
Take
yo ur h e ar b es and picke them very fine into fair e water and
pick your flowers by the m selves and washe them all cleane
and swing them in a strainer and W hen y ou put them into
a dish mingle the m with Cowcu m b er s or Lei n m on s pay r ed
,

and sliced and scrape suger and put in ginger and oyle and
throwe the flowers on the top of the Salle t I bi d
- .

D I VERS S ALLE TS B OYLE D — Par b oy le s pi nn age and chop

.

it fine with the edges of two hard Trenchers upon a board

, ,

or the backs o i two chopping knives then set them on a

'

chafing dish of coale s with butter and vinegar ; Season it

with Cinnamon Ginger Sugar and a few pa r b oy le d currans
, ,
.

Then ou t hard egges into quarters and garnish it with a ll

’

and serve it upon sippets S O may you serve Burrage . ,

Bugloss Endive Succory Colefl ower s Sorrel Mari gold

, , , , ,

leaves Water cresses Leekes boiled Onions Rocket Par

, , , , .

boyle them and season them all alike whether it be with

Oyle and Vinegar or Butter and Vinegar Cinnamon Ginger
, , , ,

Sugar and Butte r egges ar e necessary or at least very good

for all b oy led s allet s —J ohn Murrell ; Th e La d i es P r acti ce
,

1 62 1 ;

S ALLE TS O F F LOWE RS preserved i n Vinegar and Sugar as

either Violets broome flowers or gi lly fl ower s of all kindes
, ,
.

G Mark h am Th e E n gli s h Hu s ban drn a n 1 6 1 5

.
, ,
.
 OF SA LLETS 1 47

A B RAVE WARM I NG S ALAD FOR W I NTE R .

—
S pinn age Sorrel , ,

lettuce and a few onions then add oy l vinegar » and salt

, , , ,

balm pepper grass mint en di ve young green buds of cole

worts and garli c —
, , , ,

Tryon A Tr eati s e of Clea nn es s i n M eats , ,

1 69 2 .

SA LLE T ALL SO RTS — Th e Al m onds b lan ch d in cold water

- -
.
’

cut the m round and thin and so leave them in cold water .

Then have pi c kled Cucumbers O lives Capers B er b err i es , , , ,

Red Beet
-
Buds of Nasturtium B ro o m et c Pu r s lan
.
, , .
,

stal k S a m pi er Ash keys Walnuts Mushrooms with raisins

, ,
-
, , ,

of the Sun ston d citron and orange peel Strew them over
’
.
, !

wi th any can dy d flowers and so dispose Of them in the sa ine

’

D ish both mixt and by themselves To these add Marro ws .

,

Pine kernels and of Al m onds four times as much of the rest

with some Rose water Here also come in the P ickled Flowers
-
.

and Vinegar in littl e china Dishes And thus have you an .

universal winter Sallet or an Al l sort in compendium fitted

for a City Feast and distinguished from the Grand Sallet

whi ch should consist of the green blanched and unpickled
under a stately P enn as h of S ell er y a d o r n d with Buds and ’

—
Fl owers John Evelyn A ceta r i a 1 6 99 , , .

O THE R G RAND S ALLET Al l sorts of Good herbs the littl e .

-
,

leaves of red s age the smallest leaves of Sorrel and the leaves
-

, ,

of Parsley picked very sm all tear some white cabbage leaves , ,

the youngest and s malles t leaves of spinage so m e leaves o f ,

burnet the smallest l eaves of lettice white endive and che r vil
, ,

all finely picked was hed and swung in a strainer or clean

, ,

napkin and well drained fro m the water then dish it in a ,

clean scoured dish and about the center capers currans , ,

olives lemons cer ved and s li c d boiled beet roots carved

,
’

,
-
,

and s li c d and di shed round also with good oy l and vinegar

’
.
,

Th e A r t a n d M y s ter y of Cooker y Approved by the fift y .

fiv e years e xperience and industry of R obert May in his

’

Attendan ce on s everal per s ons of great h on our 1 6 7 1 , .

A G RA ND S ALLE T O F D I VE R S CO M P O U ND S —Ta ke green

purs lane and pick it leaf by leaf wash it and swing it in ,
1 48 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS
a napkin then being dished in a fai re clean di sh , and finely
,
‘

piled up in a he ap in the midst of it lay round about the ,

center of the sall et pickled capers currans an d raisins of

, , ,

the Sun washed picked mingled and laid round about it ;

,

ab out them some carved cucumbers in slices or halves and ,

laid round also Then garnish the di sh brim s with borage

.

or clove gilly fl o wer s or otherways with cucumber peels ,

olives cape rs and raisins of the Sun then the best sallet
—
, , ,

oy l and wine vinegar I bi d . .

AND N o w, I F Y O U W I LL MAKE A CRO WNE D OR GRAND

—
,

S ALLE T Y O U MAY
, o Do THI S Ta k e a B all tin or great Citron , ,

cut o ff the two ends as if you would slice him out then raise
, ,

in his rind very even with a great Knife to the very white
then raise up the meat or white of your Fruit the thi c kness
of a Crown piece keeping your knife turn n round the Fruit
-
,

at that even thic kness till you come to the heart or seeds of
,

your Fruit then throw it into fair water and when this is
, ,

done take a clean Napkin and spread it upon a Table very

even then upon this Napki n y ou must lay your Meat of the
,

B allot in and there carve it neatly into what Form or Figure

,

y ou thin k fit that may serve to make a Crown by the help

, ,

of a S teel Saw wh ich hath been cut ; the French say ou t

in th e day that is that y ou may see clearly through it
, , ,

and y ou ar e to take notice that you are t o begin the work ,

at the lower end of the Crown and pursue it to the middle ,

and finish it at the top or head But because there are many .

sorts of Crowns you ar e to take notice that a R oyal Crown

,

is to be cut at the top with crosses and Flower de Luces - -

.

And you may ta ke notice by the way that thus you may , ,

make any Crown or Crownet as big or as little as you please , ,

this being left to your own discretion .

And when you have done carving and cutting of your

Figures for a Crown and drawn and pi ck d out all the loose
,
’

pieces tha t your Work may show itself then put your Crown
, ,

into cold water and take fair Lemons and Oranges cut o ff
, ,

the two ends and take o ff the Pill to the white at their full
bigness and height to the thickness of a Crown piece and
,
-
,
150 A GA RDE N OF HE R BS

then lay a Turn i p or some other hard thing for a Standard

in the middle of the Sallad let it be formed like a Castle ,

made of Paste washed over with the Yolks of Eggs and within
it a Tree made i n like manner and c oloured with green Herbs
and stuc k with flowers ; y ou must als o have annexed to it
‘

twelve supporters round it s loping to it and fastened to , ,

the Castle ; then having made four rings of Paste each ,

bigger than the other the Bigges t must compas s the Castle
,

and reach within three inches of the Feet of your supporters ;

the s econd must be within two in ches of that and S O place ,

as m any as you thin k convenient and according to the size

of your dish that they may be li ke so many Steps one abo ve
, ,

another then place one sort of your salad round on the

,

uppermost Ring and so on till you come to the Dish laying

, ,

a several sort on every one ; then place all your Pickles

from the Sallad to the Brim of the Dish each by itself then ,

garnish your Dish with all thing s suitable t o the Season .

These grand Sallads are only for great Feasts Remember .

that in Autumn your standard ought to be the Resemblan c e

of a Castle carved out of Carrots and Turnips ; in the winter
a tree hung with Snow in Summer a green Tre e From ,
—
Th e Recei pt B ook of J oh n N ott Cook to th e Duke of Bolton , ,

1 72 3 .

S ALLAD FOR W I NTE R -Ta ke a hard cabbage and with

.
,

a S harp knife shave it as thin as possible and serve it up

with oil mustard and vine gar
,
.

Or else take corn sallad and Horse radish s cr a p d fine

’

—
,

dish it handsomely and serve it with O il and vinegar Mrs . .

Glasse The A r t of Cooker y rh a d e P l ai n a n d E as y 1 78 4

, , .

B ROCCOLI I N S ALLAD —Bro ccoli is a pretty dish by way of

.

Sallad in the middle Of a table Boil it like asparagu s ; .

lay it in your di sh beat up with oil and vinegar an d a little

,

s alt . Garnish with nasturtiu m buds - I bi d

. .

To MAK E
G S ALLE T FOR THE S
A RAN D P R I NG —Your
Gardener or those that serve you with herbs mu st supply
, ,

you with all manner of Spring Sallets as buds of Co wsli ps -

, ,
 OF SA LLETS 151

Violets Strawberries Pri mro s e Watercresses young Lettuce

, , , , ,

S pinn age Alexander buds or what other things may be got

-
, ,

either bac kwar d or forwar d in the Spring ; having all these

things severally and apart then take of t he m selves S am pi er , ,

Olives Capers Broom buds Cowcu m ber s Raisons and

, ,
-
, ,

Currans pa r bo y led blanched Almonds Barberries or what

, , ,

other pickles you can Obtain ; then prepare your standard

for the middle of your dish ; it may be a waxed tree or a ,

standard of Paste ( li k e a Castle being washed in the yolks

) ,

of eggs and all made gree n with herbs ; as al so a tree within

, ,

that in the li k e manner may be made with Paste made

, , ,

green and stuc k with Flowers so that you may not perceive
, ,

it b ut to be a tree with about twelve s uppo rters round

, , , ,

stooping to and fastened in holes in your Castle and the

, ,

other end bending out to the mid dl e of your di sh ; they

may be formed with Paste ; then having four rings of Past e ,

the one bigger than another (like unt o hoops ) your biggest ,

must come over your Castle and reach within three inches
'
,

of the foot of your supporter the second to be within two ,

inches of that and so place as many as you please gr adually ,

that they may be like as many steps going up to a Cross ;

you may h ave like w ise four B el coni es in your Castle with
four Statues of the four Seasons ; this done place your ,

Sallet around of one sort on the uppermost ring or step

, , ,

so round all th e other till you co m e to the dish with every ,

one a several sort ; then place all your pickles from that
to the brims of your dish severally one answering another , .

As for example if you have two of white and two of gree n

, , ,

let them be opposite the white against the white and the
, ,

green against the green and s o all the other ; so your di s hes
,

b ott om be ing wholly covered below yo u r Mount garnish ,

your dish with all kind of things suitable or afforded by the ,

Spring ; your Statues ought to have every one a Cr u it t

placed in their h ands two with Vinegar and two with Oy l ;
,

when this Sallet is made let it be carried to the Tabl e and

, ,

set in its place ; and when the gues ts are all placed unstop ,

the Cr u itt s that the Oy l and Vinegar may run on the S allet
,

these Cru its must be gla ss es not a quarter of a p int a piece ,

152 A GA R DE N OF HE R BS

sized over on the outside and stre wed with flowers : After ,

the sa m e m anner m a y you mak e your Sall et in Sum mer ,

Autu mn or Winter ; only ta ke those Sa llets that are then

,

i n season and changing your standard ; for in the Su mmer

, ,

you ought to re semble a green tree ; and in the Autumn ,

a Castle carved ou t of Carrots and Turnips in the Winter ,

a Tree hanged with Snow : This only is for great Feasts and , ,

may inform th e Practitioner in such Feasts for the honour ,

of his Master and benefit of himself Th e Paste that y ou

, .

make your Castle or Standard with must be made of Rye , .

There is nothing of more constant use in our sallets than

g ood Vinegar so we thin k it n o t a miss to give the foll owing
d ) R
’

( much a ppr o v eceipt .

VI N GA
E R — To every gallon of Spring water let t h ere be
.
,

allowed 3 l b s of Malaga Raisins Put them in an ear th ern

.
-
.

Jarr and place them where they may have the hot test sun
from May till Michaelmas Then pressing them well Tu n .

the liquor up in a very strong iron h o o p d Vessel to pre vent -

’

its bursting It will appear very thick and muddy when

.

newly pressed but will refine in the Ves sel and be as clear
as Wine Thus let it remain un t ou ch d for three month s
.
’

be fore it be drawn Off and it will prove excellent Vinegar .

John E velyn A ceta r i a 1 6 99 , , .

TO M U S TAR D —Th e best way of making Mustard

M AKE .

is this : Take of the Best Mustard seed (which is black) -

for e x ample a quart Dry it gently in an oven and bea t

.
,

it to subtle powder and searc e it Then mingle well st rong

, .

Wine vinegar with it so much that it be pretty liquid for

-
, ,

it will dry with keeping Pu t t o this a little Pepper beaten .

small (white is the best ) at discretion and put a good spoonful ,

of sugar to it (which is not to make it taste sweet but rather ,

quick and to help the fermentation ) lay a good Onion in the

, ,

bottom quartered if you will and a Race of Ginger sc r aped

, ,

and bruised ; and stir it often with a Hors e radish root -

cleansed which let always lie in the pot till it have lost its
, ,

vertue then ta ke a new one Th is will keep long and grow

, .

better for a while It is not good till after a m onth

. .
 CHAPTE R V

HE R B POTTAGES

I n po tt a g e wi th o u t h er b s th er e is
Ne i th er g oo d n es s n o r n o u r i s h m en t .

B ook of I ago ab D ewi .

We c an n o t ma e k so m u ch as a ttl e
P o tta
li g ood e
wi th o u t Her b e s , wh i c h g
i v e a n ad m i r ab l e r e l is h a n d m
th em wh ols om for ou r B
od i e s .
—
W Col es , The A r t .
f
o
S i mpli n g 1 6 5 6 ,

A COOLI NG
P OTTAG E : .
—
Take Borage Mallows Fumitory , , ,

Violet L eaves Beetes Great Raisins (the stones taken out )

, , ,

Prunes and a litt l e Dill Se ethe these in pottage and eat

—
.

thereof Th e Good Hous ezozf e s Han dmazd 1 5 8 8

’ ’
’
. .
,

HE R B POTTAGE —
Take
Elder buds nettle tops clivers
.
, ,

and watercress and what quantity of water you please

,

proportionable to your quantity of herbs add oatmeal ,

according a s you would have it in thickness and when your

water and oatmeal is j ust ready to boyl put your Herbs ,

into it cut or uncut as you like best ; take a La d le and lade

,

it and then you may eat it with the herbs or strain it addin g
a little butter salt and bread Th e best will be not to eat it
, .

till it is somewhat cooled and not past as hot as milk from

the cow You are to remember not to let it boyl at all
. .

This is a brave wh ol s om cleansing sort of pottage far beyond

—
, ,

what is comm onl y mad e Tryon The Good H044 3 610176 , ,

1 6 92 .

A NOTHER S ORT O F HE R B P OTTAGE — Take water and .

oatmeal make it bo y lin g hot on a quick fire then take

S pinn age corn sallet and mint cut them and put a go od
,

quantity into it Le t it stand on the fire till it be ready to

.

15
4
 HE RB POTTAGES 155

boy] and then lade it to a n d fro five or six minutes then ,

take it o ff and let it stand awhil e that the oat m eal may sink
to the bottom then strain it adding butter salt and bread ,

and when it i s about Blo od warm eat it This is a gallant .

sublime pottage it chears and comforts the Spirits ,

bree ds good Blood and makes the whole body li gh tso m .

Th e same method you ought to follow in making all s orts

of gruels and herb pottages be the Herbs of wha t Nature ,

they will for the b oy lin g of Herbs not only in pottage but
,

for any other use of Food was not invented by wise se ers
in to the Arcana of Nat ure for it doe s as it were totally ,

destroy the pure volatile spirits and b als am i ck vertues as ,

also the strong warming properties thereof For this .

cause raw Herbs are much better This is the way the wise .
,

healthy long lived Antients prepared their herbs who made

,
-
,

them one of their principal Foods B oy lin g any sorts of .

Herbs does in a moment s time e ither su ffocate or evaporate

’

the volatile Spirits of th em and then all the sweet pleasant

—
, ,

cleansing virtues are gon e I bi d .

GARLI C O R O . N I ON P o r r A GE
water and oatmeal .
—Take ,

stir it together and when it is ready to boyl bruise as much ,

garlick or onion as you please to make it either strong o r ,

weak put this bruised garlick into your b o y li n g h ot gruel

,

and brew it to and fro with your ladle that it m ay not boyl ,

for five or six minutes ; then t a k e if o ff and let it stand a ‘

little then add butter salt and bread and eat it as warm as
, ,

your Blood Ti s a brave warm cleans ing Gruel noth i ng

.
, , ,

s o strong and nauseous as that which is b oy led for thi s

way you do extract the finer and purer parts of the garlic ,

and leaves the strong nauseous Q ualities behind but on the

, ,

contrary much b oy lin g or bo y lin g according to custom does

, ,

destroy the good cleansing vertues and awakens the Evil .

I bid .

To M AKE S PI NAGE P or r Ac E .
- Ta k e nothing but the Heart ,

or Soundest Part of the Spinage mince it fine an d s tew it

, _

in a Pipkin with Peas e soop an oni on s tuck with -

, Cl o ves , a
156 A GARDE N OF HE R BS

Carr ot , and other Seasoning Ingredients Set your Crusts .

a soa king scrape in some Parmesan and dress your Pottage

, ,

Garnish it with Sticks of Cinnamon round about an d lay one

in the middle o r f r y d Bread or an Onion —The Qu een s Cl os et
,
’ ’

Open ed by W M Cook to Queen Henrietta Maria 1 6 5 5

, .
, .

—
S O U P DE S ANTE F OR F I S H D AY S Take Celery Endive , ,

Sorrel a little Chevril and cabbage lettuce well picked and

,
-

washed mince them down with a knife squeeze the water

,

from them put them into a saucepan toss them up in Butter

, ,

with a little Onion take o ff all the fat then put to them a
, ,

little water from boiled Peas and let them boil till they are ,

tender ; then put in half a spoonful of flower and keep - -

moving it till it is brown Then put in some good Fish .

broth and a glass of wine season it with Salt pepper an , , ,

onion stuc k with cloves S hred Parsley and a faggot of

.
,

savoury Herbs lay in the middl e of your Soop dish a French

,
-

roll fried h aving taken the crumb out at the bottom cover ,

the Bottom of your dish with the crust of French Rolls set ,

it over a ch a fin g dish of coal s lay the herbs upon them and

-
,

then pour the soop upon your crusts and herbs let it stand ,

a while to s i mmer and soak the Bread Garnish it with

—
.
,

Turnips and Carrot s and serve it up h o t From The Recei pt

B ook of J os eph Cooper Cook to Charles I 1 6 5 4 , , .

B WN P
RO OTTA G E carrots and
OF HE R B ROOTS —Take
turnips and cut them in Dice flour them and fry them Brown ,

in clar ify d Butter ; drain them from the Fat and put to
’

them of meagre broth and make a brown gravy from them .

Then take celery endive spinach sorrel lettuce pa r sley

, , , , ,

and onions chop these t ogether not too sm al l put to them , ,

as much of your gravy as will fill your dish When y ou

‘

fry your Turnips and Carrots pulp some of them and put
that in to help thicken your soup Make a few force .

meat balls of soft herbs w orked up into Bread an d E ggs

and s ea s on d and put in ; Stove all well together Put in
’
.

French Bread fry d and dish it Put a Manchet stoved

’
.
, ,

in the middle and garnish with Scalded Spinach and S liced

Le mon —.I bi d .
 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS

TO M AKE S OU R - Boil your carrots cleanse the m

CARROT , .

be at them in a m ortar or wooden tray put them into a ,

pipkin with Butter white Wine Salt Cinnamon Sugar , , , , ,

S hred Dates b o il d currants Stew these well together

’
. .
,

Dish them on Sippet s garnish With hard Eggs in H alves

—
,

or Quarters an d scrape in Sugar From Th e Recei pt B ook of .

j oh n N ott Cook to
, the Duke o f Bolton 1 7 2 3 , .

To MAKE ME AGRE B ROTH FOR S oop W I TH HE R B S —Set

on a K ettle of Water and put in two or three crusts of Bread
and all sorts of Good Herbs season it with Salt put in Butter ,

and a bunch of Sweet herbs boil it for an hour and a half , ,

then strain it through a Sieve or Napkin This will serve .

to mak e Lettuce So o p Articho k e Soop Asparagus Soop

—
, , ,

Succory Soop and Soop de Sant é with Herb s I bzd

'

.
,

To MAK P E F RE NCH WA Y Take hard lettuce

O TAGE THE .
! -
,

sorrel and chevril of each a like Q uantity or any other Herbs

you like as much as half a peck Will hold pressed down ,

pic k them wash and drain them Put them in a Pot

, .

with fresh butter then add water Salt some whole cloves
, , ,

and a crust of Bread and when it is b oil d take out the crust
of bread and put in the yolks of a couple of eggs Well beaten
and stir together over the fire La y in a Dish so me slices
—
.

of Bread Pour it in serve it u p I btd

.
, . .

P OTTAG E W I THOU S everal

T THE S I G HT O F HE RB S —Mince
sorts of sweet herbs very fin e — Spinage Parsley Marigold , ,

flowers Succory Strawberry and Violet Leaves Pound

, , .

them with oatmeal in a Mortar Boil your o atmeal and .

herbs in broth and serve —I bi d .

To MAKE P OTTAG E F OR O NE OR Two PE RS ONS —Take

A
four Handfuls of Pot herbs pi ck d wa sh d and cut small
-
,
’

,
’

, ,

two or three Onions ou t small likewise three or four Leeks , ,

Half an Ounce of fresh Butter or Bacon f our Spoonfuls ,

e ith e r o f fine Flour pounded Rice Oat m eal or pe el d Barley

'

, , , ,

a Dram of Salt and a little Pepper ; boil the whole in thr ee

,

Q uarts of Water which m ust be,reduced to a Pint and a

 HE R B PO TTAG ES 159

Half and kept for use may make at the same time
Y ou
—
.
, , ,

Pottage enough for three or four days Th e M od em

Cook by Vincent La Chapelle Chief Coo k to the Prince of
, ,
‘
Orange 1 7 4 4
—
.
,

A M OI S TE NI NG AND O O LI NG B ROTH W I TH HERB S Take

C

some Leaves of Sorrel Beet Lettuce Purslane and Chevril

, , , , ,

t wo large handfuls of each pick wash and cut them all , ,

small let them boil with a Crust of Bread and two Drams
,

of fresh Butter in two Pints of Water which when half ,

bo iled away is to be taken o ff and strained through a Sieve .

I bi d .

To P OTTAGE O F CHO PPE D HE RB S —Mince very fine

MAKE
Spinage Chives Parsley Marigold fl ower s Succory Straw
, , ,
-
, ,

berry and Violet Leaves stamp them with Oa tmeal in,

a Bowl pu t chopped Greens in with it : you m ay eith er

,

put Broth or Water to the m ; if Water boil a good Piece ,

of Butter in it ; put sipets in the Dish and pour it over

them —From Th e Recei pt B ook of E li za beth Cl el a n d 1 7 5 9
,

.
, .
 CHAPTE R VI

HE RB PUDDI NGS

Th u s h av e y ou t
r e c ei p s fo r h er b pud d i n g s .

TO MAKE
G RE E N P U D DI NG -Ta k e a penny l oa fe of
A .

st ale bread Grate it put to it halfe a po und of Sugar a

‘

.
,

grated nu tmeg as m uch salt as will S eason it th r ee quart ers

, ,
-

of a pound of Beef suet S hred very small then take S weet ,

herbs the most of the m Mar r igol d S hred the herbs very
, ,

small l all well together then take two eggs and work
them up together with your hand and make the m into ,

round balls and when the Water b o y ls put them in serve

.
-
,
—
them Rose water sugar and but ter for sauce Th e Com
pl ea t Cook , 1 65 5 .

T0 MAKE TARTS wet

CA LLE D TAFF I TY TARTS First .
—
your paste with Butter and v e ry cold water and roule it
thin also then lay them in layes and between every lay of
,

apples strew some sugar a n d some lemond pill ou t very ,

small If you pl ease put some Fennel seed to them ; then

.
,

put them into a s t oak hot oven and let them stand an houre ,

in or m ore then take them out and take Rose water and
,
-

Butter beaten together and wash the m over with the same
and strew fine sugar upon them then put them into the ,

Oven a gain e let the m stand a little while and ta ke them

—
,

O t
u I bi d .

To MAKE
GRE E N B OI LE D P U D DI NG OF SWE ET HE RB S
A .

Ta k e and steep a penny white loaf in a quart of cream and

onely eight yolks of eggs some currans sugar cloves , , , ,

beaten mace dates j uice of S pinage saffron cinna m on

, , , , ,

1 60
I 2 A GA R DE N OF HE RB S
or Orange fl ower water (as you best like) to ma ke it grateful
-
.

Mingle all with a little boiled Cream and S et the Dish or

‘

Pan in the Oven with a gar m in t of Puff Paste I t will

require but very moderate baking —I bi d
.

P U DDI NG OF CARROT .
—
Pare off some of the crust of
Manchet bread and grate o ff half as much of the rest as
there is of the root whi ch must also be grated Then take
, .

half a pint of half Cream or New Milk half a Po und of fres h

”

Butter Six new laid Eggs (taking out three of the Whites )
mash and mingle them W ell wi th the Cream and Butter
’

Then put in the grated B r ead and Carrot with near half a
Pound of Sugar and a little Salt ; some grated Nutmeg a nd
beaten Spice and pour all into a convenient di sh or pan
buttered to keep the ingredients from sticking or burning ;
s e t it in a quick oven for about an Hour And so have you .

a Composition for any R oot Pudding Th e Sauce is a little .

rose water with Butter beaten together and S weetened wi th

-
_

the Sugar Caster I bi d .

-
.

TART OF HE R BS
herb tart is made thus : B oil
.
-
An
fresh cre am or milk with a little grated Bread or Naples
Biscuit (which is better) to thicken it a pretty quantity ,

of Chevril Spinach Beet (or what other herb you plea se )

, ,

being first pa r b o il d and ch o p d Than add Macaron or

’ ’
.

Almonds beaten to a paste a little S weet Butter th e yolk ,

of five eggs (three of the whites rej ected) To these add .

some Corinths plu m p d in milk or b oil d therein Sugar and

’

Spice at di scretion and stirring it all together over the Fire

—
,

ba ke it in the Tart Pan I bi d . .

A F LOWE R P U D D I NG — Mince cowslip flowers cl ove .

, ,

i
g yll fl o we r s rose petals
, and Spinach of each a handf ul ,

take a s lice of Manche t (White bread) and scald it with

“

cream Ad d a pound Of b lan ch d Almonds pounded s m all

.
’

with R os e water a quar ter of a Pound of Da tes S l iced and

‘

-
,

cut small the yolks of three eggs a handf ul of Currants

, ,

and sweeten all with Sugar When boiled pour R ose water .
-
 HE R B PU DDI NGS 63

o ver and crape Sugar o n Then serve

s .

Recei pt B ook of j oh n N ott Cook to the Duke of Bolton , ,

1 723 .

To M AKE A CARROT P U DD I NG —Boil

a couple of middling
Carrots till they are three quar ters b oi l d then S hred them
’

very small and mix them with an equal quantity of grated

Bread and a pound of Be ef suet S hred small s ome Cream -
, ,

half a dozen Eggs half a Nutmeg a little Salt and Sugar , ,

to your Palate either boil or bake it If b oil d s auce it .

’

with Butter Lemon J uice and Sugar I bid

, .
-
.

P P U D DI NGS M ADE W I TH S WEE T M E ATS

OTATOE ( From -

—
.
,

Mr Moring of Temple Bar ) Take some clean Potatoes

. .
,

b oil th em tender and when they are so and clean from their ,

Skins break them in a M arble Mortar till they become a

“

, ,

Pulp ; then put to them or you might beat with them some ,

S lices Of ca n d y d Lemons and Oranges and beat these

’

together with some Spices and Lemon-Peel Can d y d Put ,

’
.

to these some Marro w and as much Sugar w ith Orange , ,

Flower Water as you think fit Mix all together and then

, .
,

take some whole c an dy d Orange Peels and stuff them full

'
-
,

of the Meat and set them u pon a Dish in a gentle Oven ;

,

when they have stoo d half an hour serve them hot with a , ,

Sauce of Sack and Butter and fine Sugar grated over them , .

R Bradley Th e Cou n tr y Hou s ewife a n d Lady s D i r ector

‘ ’
.
, ,

1 73 2 .

HE R B PU gr oats a quar t and soak

D D I NG .
—
Take
’
i
o et m eal

them all night in three pints of milk and then the next day ,

break in twelve or fourteen Eggs season it with Pepper , ,

S alt Cloves Mace and Ginger Then tak e so me Spinach

, , .
,

some Pa r s ley some Burrage some Beet Leaves and some

, , ,

Leek Blades Mince in a little Thyme and S weet Maj oram

. .

Cu t the Herbs but not too smal l Put in a pound of Rai s ins .

and a pound of Currants Put in a little Fl our to bind it .

and mix it a l l very well together Boil it in a cloth buttered .

and fl oured and mingle with it a pound and a half of good

1 64 A GA RDEN OF HE R BS
Beef Suet Ty e it very Close in your Cloth and boil it very
.

well and when well boiled serve it with plain thick Butter .

From Th e Recei pt B ook of Charl es Car ter Cook to the Duke of ,

Argyll 1 7 32
,

To M AKE HERB D U MP LI Ns
a Penny Loaf cut o ff
.
—Ta ke ,

th e out Crust and the rest in Slices pu t to it as much hot

, ,

Milk as will j ust wet it take the Yolks and Whites of s i x

,

Eggs beat them with two Spoonfuls of powder Sugar Half

, ,

a Nutmeg and a little Salt so put it to your Bread ; take

, ,

Half a Pound of Currants well cleaned put them to your ,

,

Eggs then tak e a Handful Of the Mildest Herbs you can get
, ,

gather the m so equal that the Taste of one be not above the
other,wash and chop the mvery S m all put as many of them ,

in as will make a deep Green ( don t put any Parsley amongst

’

them nor any other strong Herb ) so mi x them all together

, ,

and boil them in a Cloth make them about the Bigness of

,

middling Apples ; about Half an Hour will boil them ; put

them into your Dish and have a little Can d y d O r ange
’

—
, ,

White wine Butter and Sugar for Sauce Sarah Jacks on

-
, .
,

Th e D i r ector , 1 75 4 .
1 66 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS

handful of Dandelion rootes and so boyle altogether from a

—
gallon to a pottle Th e Good Hou s ewif e s j ewell 1 5 8 5
.
’

, .

TO MAKE A TY S AN D
borage sorrel ] endive .
-
Take , , ,

cinquefoil two or three handfuls of barley then take halfe

, ,

a handful of red fennell rootes and a quantity of liquorice , ,

sugar candie figges dates great Raisins ; boyle all together

—
, , ,

from a gal on to three pintes and strai n Th e Good

l
Hous ewife s Han dmai d 1 5 8 8
’

, .

THE D RI NK Take Rosemary with Ty m e and seeth them

E .
-

in faire water with as much sugar as wi ll make it sweet

, ,

from a quart to a pint Use the quantity of h ear be s accord .

ing to your discretion so that it may savour well of the

e r i —
h a b es and so use it n ne mornings S i x or seven spoonfuls
at a time I bi d .
-
.

RO S A -
S OI I S . .
—
of the Hear b e Rosa Solis gathered
Take -
,

in Julie one gallon picke out all the blacke moats from the
, ,

leaves ; Dates halfe a pound cinamon ginger cloves of

, , ,

each one ounce ; fine sugar a po u nd and a halfe ; red Rose

leaves greene or d r y ed foure handfuls ; steep all these in
, ,

a gallon of good A qua C ompos i ta in a glasse close stopped ,

with wax during twenty dayes S hake it well together once

,

every two days Your sugar must be powdered your .

,

spices bruised onely or gr o s s el y beaten ; your Dates cut in

,

long slices the stones taken away

, .

If you adde two or three graines of Amber gre ece a n d as -

,

much Musk i n your glasse among the rest of the ingredien ts

, , ,

it will have a pleasan t smell Some adde the Gum Amber .

,

with corel l and pearle finely po wdered and fine leafe gold -
.

Some used to b oile Ferdinande buck in Rose water till - -

they have purchased a faire deep crims on colour ; an d , ,

when the s a me is cold they colour their Ro s a Soli s and ,

-

A qu a Ru hea therewith Sir Hugh Platt D el i ghts f or Ladi es .

-
, ,

1 5 94

S PI R I T OF W I NE (tastin g Of what vegetable you please )

Macerate Ros emary Sage S wee t Fennel ] s eeds Lem m on , , ,
 HE R B D R I NK S AND HOME MADE WI NES -
1 67

or Orange pills etc in s piri t of wine a day or two and then

, .
, ,

distil it over again unless you had rather have it in his

,

proper colour for S O you s hall have it upon the first infusion
,

without any fur ther dist illation and some young Al ch y m i st s

doe hold thes e for the true spirits of vegetable s —I bi d
,

How to make a S O UVE RA I G NE W ATE R that Master D o ctor

Stevens Ph y s it i an a man of great knowledge and cunning
‘

, ,

did practice and used of long experience and therewith did

very m any cures and kept it always secret til ] of late a
, , ,

little before h i s death a special friend of his did get it in ,

writing of him .

Take a gallon of good Gas coi n e Wine then take ginger , ,

camomile cinnamon nutmegs cloves mace annis S eeds

, , , , , ,

fennel ] S eeds carroway seeds of every of t he m a dramme

, , ,

then take sage minte red Roses Ty me Pellitory of t h e

, , , ,

Wall wild margerum R osemary Wild Ty m e Camomile and

, , , , ,

lavender of every one of them one handful ] then beat the ,

S pices small and bruise the h ear b es and put all into the
, ,

wine a n d let it stand twelve hours stirring it divers times ;

, ,

then still it in a Limbeck and k eepe the first pinte of the ,

water for it i s the best then will come a seconde water

, , ,

which is n o t so good as the first .

—
Th e vertues of these waters be the s e it c omforteth the
spirite s and preserveth one greatly and whoso useth this
, ,

water ever and anon and not too ofte it preserveth him in
good liking and S h all make one seeme young very long You
—
.

must take one spo onful ] of this water fastin g John

Partridge Th e Tr eas u r i e of Commodi u s Con cei ts a n d Hidden
,

S ecr ets , 1 5 86 .

To M K A E AMU HO R DE AT
B OR ND I F I E D AR LE .
—
Y Ta ke two
ounces of French Barly boyle it upon a cleare fire in three ,

quarters of a pint Of water three or four h ou r es until that ,

there bee but a porringer of liquor left then s tr ain e it without ,

pressing the Barly ; then peele and beate in the morter two
ounces of S weet Almonds pouring this liquor upo n them as ,

aforesaid then s tr ain e and presse them very hard and boyle
, ,
1 68 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS
it a little and di s sol ve in it two o unce s of fine s ugar and
, ,

take it when you goe to bed .

There are tho s e also that beat their E ar l y in the Mor ter
with the Almonds and presse it hard which you may doe if
, ,

you please Th e Ch a r i ta bl e P hy s i ti a n by Philbert Guibert

.
-
, ,

P h y s it i an Regent in Paris 1 63 9 , .

DR B U TLE R S COR DIAL W ATE R against Melancholy etc

’ ’

Most Approve d —Take the flowers of Cowslips Marigolds

. .
,

, ,

Pinks Clove gilly fl ower s S ingle s toc k gill y fl ower s of each

, , ,

four handfu ls the flowers of Rosemary Damask Roses of

, , ,

each three handfuls Borage and Bugloss flowers and Balm, ,

leaves of each two handfuls put the m in a quart of Canary

, ,
'

wine into a gr eat bottle or jugge close st oppe d with a cork ,

sometimes stirring the flowers and wine together adding t o ,

them An n i see d s bruise d one dram two nutmegs sliced , ,

English Sa ffron two pe n nyworth ; after so m e time infusi on ,

distil them in a cold still with a hot fire hanging at the n ose ,

of the Still Amb er gr ee ce and Mu sk of each one grain then , ,

to the distilled water put white sugar candy finely beaten -

six ounces and put the glas s wherein they are into hot
, ,

wat er for one ho ur Take of this water at one time .

three spoonfuls thrice a week or when y o u are ill It , .

c u r eth all Melancholy f u m es and infinitely co mforts the

—
, ,

spirit s Th e Qu een s Clos et Open ed by W M Cook t o’

, . .
,

Q ueen H enrietta Maria 1 6 55 , .

THE HEARB S To B E DI S TI LLE D F OR U S Q UAB ATH .

—Take
Agrimony Fumitory Betony Bugloss Wormwood Hart s
, , , , ,
’

tongue Carduus Benedictus Rosemary An gelica Torment i]

, , , , ,

of each of these for every gallon of Ale one handful Anni ,

seeds and Liquorice well bruised half a po und Still all these .

together and when it is stilled you must infuse Cinamon

, ,

Nutmeg Mace Liquorice Dates and Ra y s i n s of the Sun

, , , , ,

and Sugar what quantit y you please Th e infusion mu st

—
.

be till the colour please you I bid . .

TO M AK E HY PO CRAs .
—
Take
four gallons of Claret Wine ,

eight ounces of Cina m on and Oranges of Ginger Cl o ves

, , , ,
1 70 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS

refined s ugar in p owder Then take twent y dr ops of Rose

.

wa ter in a spoon and in it a little Ambergris and a little

, ,

Musk and then pour that to your former Composition and

,

work all well together ; and if you find the matter too moist ,

knead some more sugar amongst it If you put a little of .

this Composition into a quart of Wine and mak e it S weet ,

with sugar besides it will taste like excell en t Hypocras

, .

I bi d .

AP P LE D RI NK W I TH S U GAR HONE Y E Tc — A very pleasant

—
.
, ,

drink is made of Apples thus Boil sliced Apples in water

,

t o ma ke the water strong of Apples as when you make to ,

drink it for coolness and pleasure Sweeten it with sugar .

to yo u r taste such a quantit y of S liced apples as would

,

make so much water strong enough of apples and then ,

bottle it up clo s e for three or four months There will come .

-

a thick mother at the top whi c h being taken off all the rest
, ,

will be very clear and quick and pleasant to the tas te

, ,

beyond any Cider It will be the better to most taste if

.
,

you put a very little Rosemary into the Liqu or when you ,

boil it and a little Limon peel int o each bottle when you ,

bottle it u p I bi d .
-
.

CI NA M ON WATE R —Makeabout a quart of water boil and

take it from the fire and break into it about a quarter of an
ounce of cinamon with a quarter of a pound of sugar an d ,

let it stand till it b e cool Then strain it out through a clean

.

cloth and S O set it to coo l and drink it when you please .

A P erfect S ch ool of I n s tr uc ti on s for th e Ofii cer s of th e M on th ,

b y Giles Rose one of the Master Cooks t o Charles I I 1 6 8 2

, , .

HY W HI TE
P OCR AS OF —
WI NE Take about three quarts
of the best white wine a pound and a half of sugar an ounce
, ,

Of cinamon two or three leaves of sweet margerum two

, ,

grains of whole pepper let all this pass through your bag
,

with a grain of Musk two or three slices o f lemon when it

,

hath stood and infused altogether the space of three or four

hours That of Claret may be made the same way I bi d
. .
-
.
 HE RB D RI NKS AND HOME MADE WINES -
1 71

W I NE FOR THE —
GO D S Ta ke two great lemons peel them ,

and cut them in sl ices with two Pippens pared and S liced
like your lemons , put all this into a dish with thr ee quarters
.

of a pound of sugar in powder a pint of Burgundy Wine , ,

six cl oves a little orange fl ower water Cover this up and

,
-
.

let it steep two or three hours then pass it through a bag as

—
you do Hypocras and it will be most excellent I bi d .

GO O D ADV I CE To A LL E NG LI S H P E OP LE MAKE A D RI NKE

TO

THE M S E LVE S WHI CH THE Y MAY DR I NK A s THE Y D R I NK

—Take
,

CO FFE E , CHO CO LE T A N D a quart of spring or

TE A
conduit water and boil it till it wastes one third part when
‘

, ,

you have so done your water being boiling hot put in

, ,

twenty or thirty leaves of good Sage and half the quantity ,

O f Rosemary with fifteen or twenty grains O f good English

,

Saffron and let it infu se hot as bef o re for about a quar ter
, ,

of an hour close stopped ; then po ur it out clear from the

Ingredients drink it as hot as you can taking about a
, ,

quarter or half a pint of it at a time sweetened with a little ,

white sugar ; and question not but the benefits you will
receive will be far more and better this S pring and hereafter
than you have ever done by those liquors that so many
commend ; but the Virtues of these Pl ants are S O universally
known to be of such admirable Qualities that I S hall say
’
,

‘
t h e less in the Praise of them but something I S h all say of
,

them that they a re th e best Plants that grow in this Island ,

which is a Climate and Country which I may boldly say

is so well f urnished with Herbs and Plants which for Virtue
and Goo dness is not inferior to an y Country in the whole
World and these I have pitched upon are of its choicest
,

—
Product From Th e Recei pt B ook of Hen r y Howar d Free ,

Cook of London and Cook to the Duke Of Orm ond 1 7 1 0 , .

RE D HI PPO CRA S .
—Put a gal lon of Claret into an earth en
vessel put to it two pounds of sugar beaten in a mortar
, ,

a dozen of S weet almonds s t a m pt with a glass of brandy

add to the infusion a dram of cinnamon a little long pepper , ,

four grains of white pepper a blade of Ma ce and s ome , ,

,
,
1 72 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS

Coriander seeds all these bru is ed Cover the vessel clo s e

, .
‘

and let all these infuse for an ho ur stirring it often with a ,

spoon that the sugar m ay di s solve and incorporate Then

, .

add a glass of milk and pass all through the straining bag
, .

From Th e Recei pt B ook of Ch ar l es Car ter Cook to the Duke ,

of Argyll 1 7 3 2, .

TO MA KE M I LK W a pound of Wormwo od
- ATE R .
—
Take ,

Spear mint Bal m and two pounds of Carduus sh red a little

-
, , ,

put them into a s till with two gallons of milk and distil
, ,

the m gently it is an excellent drink to quench thirs t I bi d -

w y —Take
.
,

A n oth er a handful of Spear mint two hand

a .
-
,

fuls of Wormwood and Carduus cut them pour upon them

, , ,

a quart of canary ; let them stand all night to infuse the ,

next day put them int o a cold Still with two gallons of ,

mil k or Clarified whey and di stil it as long as it runs g ood

, .

I bi d .

A COR DI AL M I NT —
WATE R Stri p Mint from the stalks ,

weigh two pounds of the leaves and tops add two po unds ,

of R aisins of the Sun stoned of Carraway S eeds a n d a nn i s eed s

, ,

of each two ounces and half a pound Of Liquorice S liced thin ;

infuse these in two gal lons of good Claret and distil it in an ,

Al emb i ck or cold Still ; let it drop on some fine Sugar

f —
through a Bag of Sa fro n I bi d .

C U RRANT WATE R —Take a pound of currants to a quart

of water that you must squeeze in the same water and put
,

in about four or five ounces of sugar being well mixed put ,

it through a straini ng bag until it be clear Put in a cool

place and give it to drink —L Lemery A Tr eati s e of all sor ts
.

.
,

of F ood s 1 7 4 5
, .

RAS P B E RR WATE R —Take a pound of raspberries to a

Y .

quart of water if the raspberri es be good three quarte r s of

, ,

a pound will be sufficient with five ounces of sugar ; it needs

no lemon Th e sugar being melted put it through a strain
.

i n g bag until it runs clear pu t in a cool place and give it to

,

drink -I bi d.
1 74 A GA R DE N O F HE R BS

TO B I TTE R S —
MAKE Take a quart of the best French .

B randy a quarter of an ounce of Saffron half an ounce of

, ,

gentian roots S liced thin t wo pennyworth of Cochineal and , ,

a small quantity of o range peel put them in a bottle -

—
, ,

and let them stand two or three days S arah Jac kson ,

Th e D i r ector , 1 75 4 .

SEED —
W ATE R Take
a spoonful of Coriander S eed half ,

a spoonful Of carraway seed bruised and boiled in a pint of ,

water then strain it and b ruise it with the yolk of an egg

, ,

mix it with sack and double refin ed sugar according to yo ur

—
,

pal at e Th e N ew A r t of Cooker y by R ich ard Briggs many

.
, ,

years Cook at the Globe Tavern Fleet Street the White , ,

Hart Tavern Holborn and at the Templ e Co ffee House

, , ,

1 78 8 .

O RA NGE S HR U B Break a hundred poun ds o f l oaf s u gar

.
- /

in small pieces put it into twenty gallons of water bo il it

, ,

till the sugar is melte d S kim it wel l and put it in a tub to , ,

cool ; when cold put it into a cask with thirty gallons of

, ,

good Jamaica Ru m and fifteen gallons of orange j uice ,

( m ind to str ai n all the seeds out of the j uice ) m i x them well ,

together then beat up the whites of S i x eggs very well stir

, ,

them well in let it stand a week to fine a n d then draw it o ff

, ,

for use By the sa m e rules you may make any quantity

you want —
.

I bi d . .

W I NE A D E LI C I O U S S ORT —Cu t a couple of Pippe ns and a .

c ouple of Lemons int o S lices into a Dish with half a po und ,

Of fine Sugar ; a quart of good red Port Wine half a dozen ,

Cloves some Cinnamon powdered an d Orange Flower

, ,
-

water ; cover these and let them infuse for three or f our
hours ; then strain it through a bag and give it a flavour
—
,

with Musk or Amber as you pleas e From The Recei pt ,

B ook of J ohn N ott Cook to the Duke of Bolton 1 7 2 3

, ,

LE W I NE —Take a dozen of large Mal aga Lemons

M ON ,

pare o ff the Rind cut the u m on s and S queeze out the Juice
, ,

put the Rind to steep and add to it two quarts of Brandy ,

 HE RB D RINK S AND HOM E MADE WI NES -
1 75

l et it stand in an e ar th er n Ve ssel for three Days close stopped ,

then squeeze another dozen of Lemons and add a gallon of ,

Spring water to them and as much sugar as will s weeten the

,

whole to your palate Boil the Water the Lemons and the
.
,

S u gar together and let it stand till it is cool ; th en a dd to it

‘

a quart of White Wine and the other Lemon and Brandy, ,

and having mixed them together run it through a Flannel ,

Bag into the Vessel you would keep it in in which let it ,

stand three months and bottle it o ff for use Let the Bottles .

be well cor k d and kept cool and it will be fit to drink in a

’

—
month or six weeks From Th e Recei pt B ook of Ch a r les
Ca r ter Cook to the Duke of Argyll 1 7 3 2
, , .

D OCTOR HA RV E Y S P LE AS ANT WATE R CI DE R whereof he

’
-

making it his ordinary drink —Take

,

u sed to drink m uch ,

one Bush el of Pippins cut them into S lices with the Parings
,

and Cores ; boil them in twelve gallons of water till the ,

goodnes s of them be in the water ; and that consumed about

three gallons then put it into an Hypocras bag made of
,
-
,

cotton ; and when it is clear run out and almost cold sweeten ,

it with five pounds of Brown Sugar and put a pi nt of Al e ,

yest to it and S et it a working t wo nights and days Then

, .

S kim off the yest clean and put it into bottles and let it
, ,

stand two or three days ti ll the yest fall dead at the top ;
,

then take it o ff clean with a knife and fill it up a little within ,

the nec k (that is to say that a little about a fin ger s breadth

’

of the neck be empty between the s u pe r fici es of the Liquor

, ,

an d the bottom of the stopple ) and then stop them up and ,

tye them or else it will drive out the corks Within a

, .

fortnight you may drink of it It will keep five or S i x weeks

—Th e Cl os et of S i r K enelrn D i gby Open ed 1 6 99
. .

.
,

TO MAKE RA S P B E RR Y W I NE —Take a gallon of good

Rhenish Wine put into it as much Ra s b err i es very ripe as
,

will make it strong put it in an earthen pot and let it stand

, ,

two days ; then po ur your Wine from the Ras b err i es and ,

put into every bottle two ounces of sugar Stop it up and

—
.

Th e Qu een s Cl os et Open ed by W M Co ok
’
keep it by you .
, . .
,

to Queen Henrietta Maria 1 65 5 , .

1 76 A GA RD EN
.
O F HE RBS

S E VE RAL S O RTS O F ME ATH small and strong ,

Take ten gallons of water and five quarts of honey with a , ,

little Rosemary m ore Sweet bryar some Balme Burnet

,
-
, , ,

Cloves less Ginger Lemon Pee l Tun it with a little Barm

, , ,

let it re main a week in the b arrel with a bag of El d er fl ower s -

,

then b ottle it .

( ) (
2 Small ) Ta k e ten quarts
. of water and one of honey , ,

Balm a little ; Mint Cloves Limon pe el Elder fl ower s a , ,

-
,
-
,

little Ginger ; wrought W ith a little yest bottle it after a ,

night working .

( 3) ( Strong) Ta ke ten gallons of water thirteen quarts

.
,

of honey with Angelica B or r age and Bugloss Rosemary

, , , ,

Bal m and Sweet bryar pour it into a barrel upon three

,
-
, ,

spoonfuls of yest hang in a bag Cloves Elder fl o wer s and ,

-

a little Ginger The Cl os et of S i r K en elrn D i gby Open ed

.
-
,

1 6 99 .

To MAKE
W HI TE M E THE GLI N Take of Sweet bryar a .
- -

great handful ; of Violet fl ower s Sweet marj oram Straw -

,
-
,

berry leaves Violet leaves and one handful Agrimony

-
, , , ,

Bugloss B or r a ge and half a handful Rose m ary ; four

, ,

branches Gilly fl ower s (the Yellow wall fl ower s with great

,
-

tops ) Anni s eed s Fennel and Caraway of each a spo on ful

, , , ,
.

two large Mace Boil all the s e in twelve gallons of water

.

for the space of an hour ; then s train it and let it stand ,

until it be Mil k warm Then put in as m uch honey as will

-
.

carry an Egge to the breadth of S ixpence at least ; then

boil it again and scum it clean then let it stand until it
, ,
”

be cold ; then put a pint of Ale barm into it and ripen it a s -

,

you do Beer and tun it Then hang in the mids t of the

, .

vessel a little bag with a Nutmeg quartered a Race of ,

Ginger S liced a little Cinna m on and mace whole and three

, , ,

grains of Musk in a cloth put into the b ag amongst the res t

of t he Spices Put a stone in the b ag t o keep it in the midst
.
,

of the Liquor This quantity too k up three gallons of h oney ;

—
.

therefore be sure to have four in readines s I bi d .

METHE GLI N ( co mposed by myself ou t of sundry receipts) .

-
I n S i x ty gall on s of water boil ten h andful s of Sweet bry ar ,
-
1 78 A GA RDE N OF HE R BS
th an Bl ood warm to m ake it ferm ent ; or you may put the
-

—
yeast to it for the same p rpos e From Th e Rec ei pt B ook of
u

j oh n N ott Cook
, to the Duke of Bolton 1 7 3
2 , .

RA I S I N W I NE —Take twelve p unds of Raisins of the Sun

‘
o

and stone them S i x pounds of White sugar the j uice of a

, ,

dozen Lemons and the p eels of six put them into a pot with ,

a cover with twelve gallons of water l et them boil for half ,

an hour ; then take them off the Fire and let them stand ,

close covered for three or four Days stirring it twice a day , ,

then strain it and bottle it up close for use but do not fill ,

the Bottles quite full lest it S hould break them S et them in a

, ,

cool place and in a Fortnight s time you may drink it If

,
’
.

you make your wine when they are in season you may add
cowslips or clove gill y fl ower S I bi d
-
.
-
.

M ORE LLO W I NE —Take

twenty four Pound of Morello -

Cherries pull o ff the s t al k es and bruise them so that the

,

stones may be broken press out the j uice and put it to nine
,

or ten gallons of White Wine Put the S kins and the stones
-
.

in a Bag and let them be hung in a Cask so as not to touch

the bottom of it and let it stand for a mo nth or more You .

m ay also put in spices if you please but the wine will be very
pleasant without them I bi d— . .

MUM —Take thirty two gallons of water -

boil it till a third ,

part is wasted brew it according to Art with three Bushels

,

and a half of Malt half a Bushel of ground Beans and half

, ,

a Bushel of Oatmeal when you put it into your Cas k do n Ot

fill it too full and when it begins to work put in a pound and ,

a half of the inner rind of Fir half a pound of tops of Fir ,

a n d Birch instead of the inward Rind Our English Mum .

I nak er s use Sassafras and ginger the Rind of Walnut Tree , ,

Elecampane Root Water Cresses and Horse Rad ish root

, ,

r as p d
’

, Betony Burnet Marj oram Mother of Th yme

, , , ,

Pennyroyal of each a small handful Elder fl ower s a handful ,

-
,

O f Blessed Thistle a handful of B a rberries brui sed half an ,

ounce of Cardamums bruised an o unce and a half All

, .

the s e ingredients are to be put in when the liquor h as wrought

 HE R B D R I NKS AND HOME MADE WI NES -
1
79

a while and after they are I n let it wo rk o ver the Vessel as

little as may be when it has done wor king Fi ll up the cask .

and put into it five new laid eggs not bro ken nor cr a ck d -
’

stop it close and it will be fit to drink in two years I bi d .

-
.

TO MAKEM EA D —Set three gallons of water on the fire ,

put in Balm Lemon Thym e Sweet Marj oram and Rose

, , , ,

mary let them boil some time then put in five or S i x hand
, ,

fuls of B orr a ge and Bugloss and when they have boiled a ,

little take them off strain them and S et the liquor by to

,

settle for a Night Then to every gallon of liquor add three

.

Pound of Honey ; put on th e Fire bo il an d scum as l ong as ,

any scum ris es ; then take thirty cloves two ounces of ,

Nutmegs and S i x ounces of Ginger beat t h em put them in

, , ,

a Bag and boil them in the liquor a l ittle before you take ,

it off the Fire Then e m pty it into a ves sel put to it a pint
.
,

and a h alf of Ale yeast lay a S heet over it and a Blanket ,

upon that Let it wo r k su fficiently then tun it hang the

.
f
, ,

Bag of Spice in the Cask and stop it up close for six or ,

seven weeks ; then bottle it off with s ome sugar I bi d .

-
.

TO MAK M
E a handful of Thym e
W HI TE E AD —Put ,

R osemary Sweet Briar Eyebright Wood Bet ony Scabi ous

, , , , ,

Roman Wormwood Agrimony ( of each a like quantity) and

, ,

steep for twenty four hours in a W ooden bowl uncovered

-
, ,

then boil them in another water till it be very high col oured
then change the water and boil them till it is coloured green ,

and as long as any green mess remain then S et it by for ,

twenty four h our s more Then strain the liquor from the
-
.

Herbs and put a Pound of Honey to every two Q uarts of

the liquor and when it will be ar an egg to three pence
breadth above the water wor k it together til] the Ho ne y
is all dissolved ; then let it settle for a Night ; the ne xt day
boil it with the shells and whites of half a dozen eggs ; then
strain it S et i t by to cool ; then put it up into the Cask then
, ,

b r uise cinnamon nutmeg cloves mace and put them in a

, , , ,

Bag and hang the m in the Cask and stop it up .

If you would have it fit to drin k in a little time be at ,

together the white s of three or four eggs ; add to the m a .

1 80 A GA R DE N OF HE RBS
spo onful of yeast two spo onfuls of Honey and put them
, ,

into the Cask and then temper some Clay with Bay sal t and
s top it up close —
I bi d . .

CHE RR W Y I NE —Pick
off the stalks and stone your
cherries press out the j uice and to each gallon put two
, ,

po unds of Sugar put it in a Cask set it a working and when

, , ,

it has done stop it up for two month s then bottle it o ff

, , ,

putting a little Sugar and after it has stood six wee ks it

will be fit for u s e —From Th e Recei pt B ook of Ch ar l es Car ter
, ,

Coo k to the Du ke of Argyll 1 7 2 3 , .

G B
OO S E E RR —
Y W I NE Let
your Gooseberries be gathered
before they are too ripe and to every twelve pounds of ,

gooseberries take six pounds of S ugar and a gal lon of Water .

Stamp the Gooseberries and let them steep in the Water

twenty four Hours ; then strain them and pu t the liquor
-

into a Vessel and let it stand close stopped up for two or

,

three Weeks and if it prove fine draw it off otherwise let

, , ,

it stand a Fortnight longer and then bottle it ; but rack it ,

o ff or use Isinglass if it be not su fficiently fine

, .

P G
E AR L OOS E —
B E RRY W I NE Bruise the G oo s eberries
and let them stand all night ; the next morning let them b e
squeezed or pressed out set the Liquor to settle for S i x or ,

eight hours then pour o ff so much as is clear and to every

, ,

gallon of Liquor put three pounds of double r efin ed Sugar -

,

bro ken into small lumps Put all into the Vessel with a .

bit of Isinglass and stop it up Let it stand three months . ,

and then bottle it slipping in a Lump of double r efin ed

,
-

Sugar into each Bottle This is called the fine Gooseberry

—
.

Wi n e I bi d
. .

DA M S ON —
W I NE Put twoand a half of Sugar t o po rm d s

every gallon of Water ; boil them for three quarters of an -

Hour and scum them very well and to every gallon put
, ,

five pints of Damson s stoned Boil them till th e Liquor is .

of very fine colour then strain it through a fine s ieve work

, ,

it for three or f our days in an open Ves sel then po ur it off ,

1 82 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS
and wil l be very good for present spendin g ; but will n ot

,
—
keep long unless they be used as in Pre s ervin g I bi d .

TO —
MAKE FRONTI NI AG W I NE Take gallon s of wat er SI x

and twelve pounds of White Sugar and S i x po unds of ,

Raisins of the Sun cut small bo il these together an hour ;

then take of the Flowers of Elder when they are falling ,

o ff and will S hake off the quantity of half a peck ; put them
,

in the liquor when tis almost cold the next Day put in S i x
’

spoonfuls of Syrup of Lemons and four spoonfuls of Ale

yeast and two days after put in a Vessel that is fit for it
, ,

and when it has stood two months bottle it Off , .

E S mith Th e Compl ea t Hou s ewife 1 7 3 6

.
, , .

MAKE E NGLI S H CHAMPAY NE O R THE P I NE CU RRANT

To
W I NE —Take to three gallons of water nine pounds of
Lisbon Sugar ; boil the water and Sugar half an hour scum ,

it clean then have one gallon of Currants pi ck d but not

, ,
’

bruised pour the liquor boiling hot over them and when
,

cold work it with half a pint of balm two days ; then pour
,

it through a Flannel or Sieve then put it into a b arrel fit ,

for it with half an ounce of Isinglass well bruised ; when it

is done working stop it close for a month then bottle it and
, , ,

in every b ottle put a small lump of double r efin ed Sugar -

This is excellent Wine and has a beautiful c ol our —

.

I bi d . .

To SM AK W I NE
E ARA G O S S A every OR E NG LI S H S ACK —To
quart of water put a sprig of Ru e and to every gallon a
,

handful of Fennel roots boil these half an ho u r then strain

, ,

it out and to every gallon of this Liquor put three pounds ,

of Honey ; boil it two hours and scum it well and when it , ,

is cold pour it off and turn it into a Vessel or such Cask as ,

is fit for it ; keep it a year in the Ves sel and then B ottle it

Ti s a very good sack —I bi d
.

’
. .

M OU NTA I N —
W I NE Pic k
ou t the big stalks of your Malaga

R aisins then chop them very small five gallons to every

, ,
.

gall on of Spring water l et them steep a Fortnight or m ore

_

, ,

s quee ze out the Liquor an d barrel it in the Vessel fit for it ;

,
 HE RB D RI NKS AND HOME MADE WI NES -
1 83

first fume the Ves s el with Bri m stone ; don t st o p it up till ’

the hissing is over I bi d .

-
.

B I RCH W I NE —Th e S e as on for procuring the liquors from

the Birch trees is in the beginning of March whi le the sap ,

is rising and before the leaves S hoot out ; for when the sap
,

is come forward and the leaves appear the j uice by being , ,

long digested in the bark grows thic k and coloured wh ich , ,

before is thin and clear .

Th e method of procuring the j uice is by boring holes in

the body of the tree and putting in fos s ets which are
, ,

commonly m ade of the branches of elder the pith being ,

taken out You may without hurting the t r ee if large tap

.
, , ,

it in several places four or five at a time ; and by that means

,

save from a good m any trees several gallons every day .

If you have not enough in one day the bottle s in which it , ,

drops must be cor k d close and rosined or waxed ; however

,
’

, ,

make use of it as soon as you can Take the sap and boi l
,
.

it as long as any scum rises skimming it all the time to every , ,

gallon of liquor put four pounds of good sugar and the thin ,

peel of a lemon ; boil it afterwards half an ho u r skimming ,

it very well ; pour it into a clean tub and when it is almost ,

cold set it to work with yeast spread upon a toast Let it

, .

s tand five or S i x days stirring it often then take such a

, ,

cas k as will ho ld the liquor ; fire a large mat ch dipped in

bri m st one and throw it into the cask stop it close till the ,

match is e xtinguished ; tun your wine and lay the bung on ,

light till you find it has done working ; stop it close and
,
—
keep it three months then bottle it o ff I bid . .

Q U I NCE — the quinces when dry and ful l

W I NE Gather
ripe Take twenty large quinces wipe them clean with a
. ,

c oarse cloth and grate them with a large grater or rasp as

, ,

near t h e core as you can b ut none of the core ; boil a gall on

,

of spring water throwin g your quinces in and let it boil ,

softly a quarter of an hour then strain them well into an ,

earthen pan on two pounds of double r efin ed sugar ; pare -

the peel of two large lemons throw in and squee z e the j uice ,

thro ugh a sieve and stir it ab out till it is very c ool then
,
1 84 A GA RDE N OF HE R BS

toast a little bit of bread very thin and bro wn rub a little
, ,

y east on it let it stand close covered twenty four hours ;

,
- -

then take out the toast and lemon put it up in a keg keep , ,

it three months and then bottle it If you make a twenty .

gallon cask let it stand six months before you bottle it .

When you strain your quinces you are to wring them hard
in a coars e cloth —I bi d . .

T U R NI P —
W I NE Take a good many turnips pare lice , , S ,

and put them in a cyder press and press out all the j uice
-
,

very well ; to every gallon of j uice put three pounds of l ump

sugar ; have a vessel ready j us t big enough to hold the
'

j uice ; put your sugar into a vessel ; and also to every

gallon of j uice hal f a pint of brandy ; pour in the j uice and ,

lay something over the bung for a week to S ee if it works ; ,

if it does you mus t not bung it down till it has done work
,

ing then stop it close for three months and draw it o ff in ,

another vessel ; when it is fine bottle it off Th e N ew A r t of, .

-

Cooker y by R Briggs many years Cook at the Globe Tavern

, .
, ,

Fleet Street the White Hart Tavern Holborn and n ow at

,
-
, ,

the Temple Co ffee House London 1 7 8 8 , , .

—
CU RRANT W I NE Gather your currants on a fin e dry day ,

when the fruit is full ripe strip them put them in a large
, ,

pan and bruis e them with a wooden pestle ; let them stand
,

in a pan or tub twenty fo u r h ou r s to ferment ; then run it

-

through a hair sieve and do not let yo u r hand touch the

,

liquor to every gallon of this liquor put two pounds and a

,

hal f Of white sugar stir it well together and put it into your
, ,

vessel ; to every S i x gallons put in a quart of brandy and let ,

it stand S i x weeks ; if it is fine bottle it ; if it is not draw it

, ,

off as clear as you can into another vessel or large bottles

and in a fortnight bottle it in small bottle s —I bid

, ,

—Four gallon
.

RE D C U
W I NERRA NT s of cold water to four

of bruised currants picked carefully from their stalks ; let

,

them stan d together for four days then strain them o ff , ,

mix three pounds and a half of brown sugar or white sugar ,

which is greatly to be preferred to eac h gall on of diluted ,

1 86 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS

Add the j uice and rind of the oranges and then the sugar .

Heat the milk and pour it b oiling over the other ingredients
in the pan Let the liquid remai n S i x or eight days stirr i ng
. ,

thoroughly each day strain into bottles and cork well

,
-
.
e

E G Hayden Tr a vel s r ou nd ou r Vi ll age

. . , .

B LAC K CURRANT WI NE To every three quarts of j uice

a
.
-

allow the same amo unt of water unboiled and to every ,

three quarts of the liquid add three pounds very pu re moist

sugar Put all into a Cask reserving a little for fil ling up
. , .

Place the cask in a warm dry room the liquid will ferment , ,

of itself Skim off the refuse when fermentation ceases

.
,

fill up with the reserved liquid when it has ceased working ,

pour in three quarts of brandy to four quarts of wine Bung .

it close for nine months then bottle it and strain the thick
,

part through a Jelly bag when it also can be bottled K eep

ten or twelve m onths before drinking —I bi d
, .

S LO E GI N —To every gallon of Sloes add the s ame quantity

.

of good gin and one pound of white sugar more or less ,

according as the liquor is desired sweet or not Crush the .

fruit in a j ar take out and crack the stones replace them in

, ,

the j ar add the sugar pour over the gin Cork or cover
, , .

the j ar lightly and leave it to stand for a month when strain

—
,

and b ottl e I bi d .
 CHAPTE R VII I

ADDI TIO NA L R E CEIP TS

DR . T WI N S
A LM O ND M I LK B 0il two quarts of water
’
.
-
,

then let it stand till it is clear ; put in Strawberry Plants ,

both Leaf and Roots and Violet Leaves of each a large

, ,

han df ul and a large Root of Sorrel let them all be well ,

Wash d put in two ounces of Raisins of the Sun ston d and

’ ’

a crust of whi te Bre ad Boil all these with fifty Almonds

.

blanched and beaten ; draw an Almond Milk sweetened with

Sugar to your Palat e —From Th e Recei pt B ook of j ohn Nott
,

Coo k to the Duke of Bolton 1 72 3 , .

M
TO A KE LE ACH OF A L M
halfe a pound of O ND S .
—
Take
S weet e Al m on d es and b eat them in a mort ar then s tr ai n e
,

them with a pin te of sweet milke from the cow : then put
to it one graine of musk two spoonfuls of Rose water two ,
-
,

ounces of fine Sugar the weight of three whole S hillings of

,

I s in gl as s e that is very white and S O boyle them : then let ,

all run thorow a strai ner then may you slice the same and
s o serve it — Sir Hugh Platt D eli ghts f or Ladi es 1 5 94
.
, , .

B ALLS FOR LE NT —Grate

white bread nutmeg salt
.
, , ,

s hred parsley a very little thym e

, and a little orange or ,

le m on peel ou t s mall ; ma ke them up into balls with beaten

-

eggs or y o u may add a spo onful of Cream ; and roll them

—
,

u
p in flour and fry the
, m E Smith T h e Compl eat .
,

Hou s ewife , 1 736 .

To MAKE B I S C UI TS
B EE T ROOTS : FROM THE
or RE D -

S A ME ; CALI D THE CRI M S O N B I S C U I T

’
—Take the R oots of .

Re d Beet s and b o il the m tender clean them and be at the m

, ,

1 87
1 88 A GA R DE N OF HE RBS
in a M ortar with a s much Sugar finely s ifted ; s om e Butter ,

the Yolks of hard Eggs a little Flower ; so m e Spice finely

, ,

beaten and some Orange Flower water and a little Le mon

,
-
,

j uice When they are well mixed and reduced to a Paste

.
, ,

make them into Cakes and d r y them in a slow Oven , .

R Bradley Th e Cou n tr y Hou s ewif e a n d Lady s D i r ector 1 732

’
. .
, ,

How TO D RA W THE B LO UD OF HE ARB E s —Stamp the .

put the sa m e into a large glasse leaving two parts

h ear b e , ,

e m pti e ( some commend the j uice of the h ear b e only ) ni p

or else lute the glasse very well digest it in balneo 1 5 or 1 6

d ai es and you shall find the same very red : divide t h e
,

watr i sh part ; and that which remaineth is the blond or

—
,

essence of the herb Sir Hugh Platt D eli ghts for Ladi es , ,

I S94

MAKE PARS LE Y SAGE THYM E SAV ORY AND

TO LE MON
—
, , , ,

THYM E B U TTE R Clarify your Butter then mix it with a ,

little of the oil of any of the Herbs till the Butter is strong ,

enough to your taste or liking Then mix them well together . .

This is a great Rarity and will ma k e the Butter keep a long

time This will be better than eating the Plants with Bread
.

and Butter You may also do this witho ut clarifying the

.

Butter by taking Butter newly made and workin g it well

fro m its water milk an d wheyish Parts before you put in
the Oil s —Fr om Th e Receipt B ook of j oh n Nott Cook to the ,

Duke of Bolton 1 72 3 , .

HOWMAK E S U NDRY S ORTS O F M OS T DAI NTY B UTTE R

To ,

HAV I NG A LI V E LY TA S TE OF SA G E CI NNAM O N NU TM E G S
—
, , ,

MA E E Tc This is done by mixing a few d r pps of the

C , . o

extracted oyle of Sage Cinnamon Nutmegs Mace etc , , , , .

,

in the ma king up of your Butter for Oyle and B utter will

incorporate and agree very kindly and naturally together .

And how to make the said oy les with all necessarie vessels , ,

instruments and other circumstances by a most plaine and

familiar description ; see my Jewel house of Art and
”
Nature under the Title Of Distillation
, Sir Hugh Platt .
_
,

D eli ghts f or La di es 1 5 94 ,
.
 ’

1 90 A GA RDEN OF HE R B S

warm them over the fire —

and serve them h o t Robert May ,

Th e A r t an d M y s ter y of Cooker y , 1 67 1 .

To F RY CMU U UM B
C E RS FOR TTO N S AU —You must CE

brown some Butter in a pan and cut the cucumbe r in thi n

‘
,

S lices ; drain them from the Water then fling them into the ,

pan and when they are fried brown put in a little pepper
, ,

and salt a bit of onion and gravy and let them stew together
, , ,

and squeeze in some j uice of lemon ; S hake them well and pu t

them under your m utton E Smith Th e Compleat Hous e .
-
.
,

wife 1 7 3 6
, .

T0 MAKE F LOWE R S OF THE COLO U R O F MARB LE

PAS TE OF
TAS TI NG OF NATURA L F LO WE R S — Take every sort of pleasing
flowers as Violets Cowslips Gilly fl ower s Roses or Mary
, , , , ,

golds and beat the m in a Mortar each flower by itself with

, ,

Sugar till the Sugar become the Colour of the flower then
, ,

put a little Gum Dragon s teept in Water into it and beat ,

it into a perfec t paste ; so when you have half a do z en colours ,

every flower will take of his nature then row] the Paste ,

therein and lay one peece upon another in mingling s o

, , ,

r o wl your paste in small rowl s as bigge and as long as your

finger then cut it o ff the bigness of a small nut overthwart

, , ,

and so row] them thin that you may see a knife through
—
,

them o dry the m before the fire till the y be d r y Th e

s , ,

s Cl os et Open ed by W M H
’

Q u een Co o k to Q
,u een e n rietta
. .
,

Maria 1 65 5 , .

TO CAN D Y ALL KI N D OF FLOWE RS IN WAY ES OF THE

A A D —
S P NI S H C N Y Take double refined . sugar put it int o a ,

po snet with as much rose Water as will melt it and put -

,

into it the pappe of hal f a roasted apple and a grain of ,

musk then let it boyl till it come to a candy height then

, ,

put in your flowers being picked and S O let it boyl then , ,

cast them on a fine plate and cut i nway es with your knife
—
, ,

th en you may spot it with gold and keep i t A Choi ce .

M a nu al of S ecr ets b y Elizabeth Gre y Countess o f K ent

, , ,

1 65 3 .
 ADDI TIO NA L R E CEIP TS 1 9 1

Y
FLOWE RS I N TH E I R NATU RAL
‘

To CAN D ALL MAN N E R O F

COLO U RS — Take the flowers with the stalks and wash them ,

over with a little R ose water wherein Gum Ar a b i ck is

,
-
,
-

dissolved ; then take fine s ea r s ed sugar and dust over them , ,

and set them a dryi ng on the bottom of a S ieve in an oven ,

and they will glister as if it were Sugar Candy William -

.
-

R abisha The Wh ol e B ody of Cooker y D i s s ected 1 6 7 5

, ,
.

TO D I S H U PF R U I TS A ND P RE S E RV E D F LOWE R S —Take a
large Dish cover i t with another of the same bigness and
, ,

lay the uppermost all over with Almond paste ; inlaid with
white red green blue Or white Mar m al a d in the Figures
, , ,

of Banks of Flowers Then take branches of ca n d y d ‘

’
.

Flowers an d stick them u pr i gh t i n the Paste in as handsome

orders as you can then erect little Bushes covered with ,

Pas te and upon them fasten preserved Apples Apr i coch s

, , ,

Currants Gooseberries Peaches Pears Plums et c and for

, , , , , .
,

Leaves you may m ake use e ither of coloured Paste Parchment

/

—
,

or Horn This will be very proper in winter I bid

. . .

TO F LOWE R S
K EEP Gu m Arabic A LL THE —
YEAR Put
into Rose water to make it sticky ; take what sorts of
-
,

flowers you please and drop them into the liquor swing the ,

li quor o ff and set them in a s e e to dry in the sun I bi d

i v -
. .

TO PI C K LE —
F LOWE RS Take Flowers of any sort put ,

them into a Gallypo t with their weight in Sugar and to each

—
,

pound of sugar put a pint of Vinegar I bi d . .

T0 F LO WE RS —Clip your flowers

MAK E S YR U P S OF ANY

and take their weight in Sugar ; then take a gal ly po t and pu t ,

a row of flowers and a strewin g of sugar till the pot is full ; ,

then put in two or three S poonf uls of the same syrup or

s t i ll d water ; tie a cloth on the top of the pot put a tile on
’

that set your ga l ly po t in a K ettl e of water over a gentle

,

fire and let it infuse till the strength is out of the flowers
, ,

which will be in four or five hours ; then strain it through a

,
—
flannel and when it is cold bottle it u p E Smith Th e . .
,

Compl eat Hou s ewife 1 7 3 6 , .

 A GA RDE N OF HE R BS
~

TO S M F U
UG AR ALL S ORTS O F S the white AL L R I TS —Beat
of an egg and dip the fruit in it let it l i e on a cloth that it ,

may not wet ; then take fine S ifted sugar and row] the Fruit
in it till it is quite covered with s u ga r an d lay it on a S ieve
in a Stove or before a Fire to dry it well ; it will keep well a
—
week From Th e Recei pt B ook of M r s M ar y E al es Con fec .
,

t i on er t o Queen Anne 1 7 1 9 , .

To M AK E
F RE NCH P UFFES W I TH GRE E NE HE ARB E S .

Take Spinage Parsley E n d ife a s pr igge or t wo of Savo ry

, , , ,

mince them very fine season the m with Nutmeg ginger and ,

sugar Wet them with eggs according to the quantity of

.

the Hea r b eS more or lesse Then take the Coar e of a Lemmon

, .
,

cut it in round slices very t h in n e put to every S lice of your

lemmon one S poo n ful e of this s tu ffe Then fry it with Sweet .

lard in a Frying panne as you frye E gges and serve them

-
,

with Sippets or without s pr in ckle them ey th er with White ,

wine or Sacke or any other wine s aving Ren ni sh wine

, ,
-
.

Serve them eyth er at Dinner or Supper John Murrel A .

-
,

N ew B ooke of Cooker i e 1 6 2 1 , .

To AKE M
G OOS E B E RR gooseberries Y VI NE GAR —
Ta ke .

full syse bruise them in a

, mortar then measure them and , ,

to every quart of gooseberries put three quarts of water , ,

first boiled and let it stand till cold ; let it stand t wenty
,

four hours ; then strain it thro a canvas then a fla nnel ’

and t o every gal lon of this liquor put one pound of brown
—
sugar ; stir it well and barrel it up ; at three quarters of a
,

year old it is fit for use ; but if it stands longer it is the better .

This vinegar is likewise good for pic kle s — E Smith Th e .

,

Cornpl eat Hou s ewife 1 7 3 6 , .

M W
AR RO AN D HE R —
B B ALLS Ta ke cooked marrow a little ,

thyme winter Savory and Sweet Marj oram the yolks of

, ,

three Eggs a Q uarter of a Pound of Sugar a Q uarter of a

, ,

Pound of Currant a li ttle Rose water and some Nutmeg

,
-
.

Work all these well together and put them into a pas ty of
—
'

Pu pa te and fry them in s weet butter or lar d Engl a nd s

’
ff s
1 94 A GA RDEN OF HER BS
Th eSweetness o f the Pars nip Powder answers the wan t of
Sugar R Bradley The Cou ntry Hous ewife and Lady s
.
-
.
, .
’

D i r ector , 1 732 .

S WE E TE CA KE S S PI CE OR S U GAR W I THO UT E I THE R .

Scrape or wash your Parsneps cleane slice the m th inn e , ,

dry them upon Canvas or network frames beat them to ,

powder mixing one third thereof with two thirds of fine

,

wh ea t e flower : m ake up your paste into coates and you

S hall find them very delicat e —
,

Sir Hugh Platt D el i ghts f or ,

Lad i es , 1 5 94 .

P OTATO P Y E S WE ET You must first boil the m half .

-

enough then make a good Pu ff paste and lay in your Pota

,
-

toes and betwixt every one a Lump of Marrow rolled in

,

Egg ; cut in some sh oes of Orange and Lemon peel an d a -

,

little Sugar ; then make a Caudle with Cream and Eggs and ,

a little Sack and when your Pye i s b ak d take off the Li d and
,
’

po u r al l y our Caudle over i t Fro m Th e Recei pt B ook of .

-

Ch ar l es Ca r ter Coo k to the D u ke of Argyll 1 7 3 2

, , .

P OTATO TART —Take a po und and a half of pot at oes bo il

.
,

the m and s kin the m and cu t the m in slices not th in ; sheet ,

a Dish with puff paste lay s o m e Citron in the bottom lay

-
, ,

over your p otatoes and sea son them with ginger cinn amon
, , ,

nutmeg and sugar ; then take the m arrow of two Bones

cu t it into Pieces as big as Walnuts r o ll it in yolks of eggs and

season it as the Potat oes ; lay it on them a n d between the

Lumps of Marrow lay Citron and Dates springle over so m e
Orange flower or Rose water Draw up a quart of Cream -
.

with yolks of eggs po ur all over it bake it and s ti ck o v er some ,

Citr on and s erve i t -I bid . .

POTATO AND LE M ON CHEES E CAKE s Ta ke six ounces of .

-

potatoe s f our ounce s of lemon peel four ounce s of sugar

,
-
, ,

f our ounces of butter boil the lemon peel till tender par e ,
-
,

and scrape th e potatoes and b oil t h em tender and brui se ,

them ; beat th e le m on peel with the sugar then beat all -

,

together very well and m elt the butt er in a little thick cream
, ,
 ADDI TIO NA L RECEI PTS 1 95

and mi x all together very well and le t it lie til] cold : put
cr us t in your patti pan s and fill them little more than half ,

full bake them in a qu ick oven half an hour s ift s o me double ,

’
r efin d sugar on them as they go into the oven ; this quantity
—
will m ake a d ozen s mall patti pan s E Smith The Compl ea t , .
,

Hous ewife , 1 73 6 .

To MA KE B I S CU I TS OF POTATOES
( Fro m M r s Mary Gor
don ) —Boil the Roots of Potatoes till they are tender ; then
. .

pe el them and take their weight of fine Sugar finely S ifted ;

, ,

grate so m e Lem on Pee l on the Sugar ; and then bea t the

-

Potatoes and Sugar t ogether in a Stone Mortar with s o m e , ,

Butter a little Ma ce or Clove s finely sifted and a little

, , , ,

Gum Dragon steeped in Orange Flower Water or Ro s e

,
-
,

Water till it b eco m es a P as te ; then m ake it into Cakes with

,

Sugar finel y powd er d and dry them in a gentle Oven

’

, , .

R Bradle y The Coun tr y Hou s ewife a n d Lady s D i r ector

’
.
, ,

1 732 .

POTATOE P U DDI NG B AKE D ( Fro m Mr Shepherd of Wind

-

—
. .

mill Street ) Boil some fair Potatoes til l the y are tender ;
.

then when they are m ade clean bruise the m in a M arble

, ,

Mortar till they beco m e a Pas te with so m e Mace powd er d

, ,
’

s o m e Sugar and the Pulp o f Oranges with a Naples Biscuit ,

'

or two gr ated in and a large Carrot grate d Add to these

, .

s om e Orange FloWer Water ; and when all these are well

-

mi x d put to the m so m e b u tt er d Eggs with s o me S lices of

’ ’

, ,

Butter laid upon your Pudd ing when it is put into the Di s h , ,

or P an A little ba king will serve for i t ; and when it is

.

e nough s erve it h ot with a garnish of Sliced Lemon or

, ,

Orange So m e will put this into a Pas te but not cover it

.
,

o ver I bi d
.
-
.

TO MAKE A W HY TE S YLLAB U B —Put a Pint of White wine-

.
-
,

and a Pint of Mulberry or blac k Cherry Juice in to a wo oden , ,

Bowl ; add al so a Pint of Crea m weeten it with Sugar and , S ,

put in a large perf um ed Comfit put a Branch or two of ,

R ose m ary stript from the Leaves a m ong some Willow t wigs ,
-

peeled and wind a Le m on peel about yo ur Willow twigs etc

,
- -
, .
1 96 A GA R DE N OF HE R B S
Then stir your Syllabub well t og ether and whip it up till it ,

froths take o ff the Froth with a Spoon and put it into your
, ,

Glasses and squeeze some Spirit of Lemon peel between

,
-

every Layer of Froth and l et it stand till the next Day

—
,

before you eat t I bi d

i . .

A W SY
ORCE S TE RS HI RE p o t LLA —
B U B Fill your Syllabub
.
-

‘
with Cyder put in a good Q u antity of S u gar and a little
, ,

Nutmeg ; stir these well together then put in as much thick ,

Cream by two or three Spoonfuls at a time as if you were ,

milking it ; then stir it round very gently and let it stand ,

‘

two Hours then eat it , .

If it be in the Field onl y mil k the Cow I nto the Cyder et c

’

—
.
, ,

and so drink it I bid . .

TO MAKE S YROP Take Bugloss Borage

O F A LL K I NDE .
-
, ,

white Endive of each one h an d efu ll of R osemarie Ty m e

, , , ,

Hysope winter s a v er i e of ea ch half a h an d efull , seethe them

, ,

( being first broken b e twee n e your b andes ) in three quartes

of water into three pintes , then s tr ein e it and pu t in the liquor
whole cloves an ounce powder of cinnamon halfea n ounce , ,

powder of ginger a quarter of an ounce one nutmeg in ,

powder of sugar halfe a pound or more : let them S eethe

,

upon a soft fire well stirred u ntil it come to the thick ness of
,

h
live oney then keep it in galley pots If you put one pint
,
- .

of Malms ey in the S econd seething it will be better When it .

is perfect have s i xe graines of fine Muske in powder stir i t ,

amongst your Syrop as y ee put it into the Galley pot and

,
-

cover it .

This Syrop will last many y eer eS and is excellent It .

comforteth the braine and S in eweS -John Partridge Th e .

,

Tr eas u r i e of Commodi ous Conc ei ts a n d Hi dd en S ecr ets 1 5 8 6 , .

To M AK E TAF F ATY -
CR EA .
—
M Beat the Whites of eight Eggs
up to a froth with Rose water S kim o ff the Froth an d put it
-
, ,

into a Q uart of Cream an d set it on the Fire to boil but keep

, ,

it continually stirring ; then having b eaten the Yolks of

eight Eggs very well S lip them into the Cream and stir it a
, ,
1 98 A GA RDE N OF HE R BS

grated bread and three or four dish es of Butter m elted and

when y o u have brought it together season it with sugar and
cinnamon ginger and salt Th en lay it upon your fine paste
, .

spreading it abroad then the cover of the fin e paste being cut

,

with pr etti e work then set it in your Oven bake it and when
it is enough then at the serving of it you must newe pas t the
cover with butter and so scrape sugar upon it and then s erve
—
it forth Th e Good Hou s ewif e s j ewell 1 5 8 5
’

, .

TU RNI P B REA D i
o i wh ch we have eaten at the Grea test

Persons Tables hardl y to be distinguished from best of

wheat Let the turnips first be peeled and boiled in
-

water till soft and tender Then strongly pressing out the .

j uice mix them together and when dry (beaten or pounded

very fine ) with their weight of Wheat Meal season it as you do
other bread and knead it up Then letting the Dough r e .

main a little t o ferment fashion the paste int oloaves and bake
—
it like co mm on brea d John Evelyn A cetar i a 1 6 99 , , .

TUR NI P S TAI their Stalks (when the y begin to

. KS .
-
Take
run up to seed) as far as they WI 11 easily break downwards
Pee l and tie them in Bundles Then boiling them as the y
—
.

do Sparagus are to be eaten with melted Butter I bi d . .

V I NE F
LE AF RI TTE RS .
—Take a do zen of the s mallest Vine
Leave s you can get cut off the stalks put them in a deep
, ,

dish pour in a glass of brandy and grate the rind of a lemon

, ,

over them and about two ounces of powder sugar mix a

, ,

gill of Cream with two eggs and flour to a stiff batter and ,
’
mix with them ; have a pan of boiling hog s lard minding -
,

that the leaves have plenty of batter on both S ides ; put them
in and fry them quick on both S ides of a light brown lay ,

them on a S ieve to drain then put them in a dish sprinkle , ,

powder sugar over them and gl aze them with a hot iron , .

Th e N ew A r t of Cooker y by Richard Briggs Head Co ok , ,

s uccessively t o Charl es II Ja m es II Wil liam and Mary and , , ,

Anne 1 7 8 8, .

AN E XCE LLE NT CO NCE I T U PON

K E R NE LS OF DRI E THE

WALN UTs .
- Gather not y our Walnut s befor e t he y be full
 ADDI TIO NA L RE CEIPTS 1 99

ripe kee p them without any a r t untill Ne wy ear e s tide then

,
’

break the S hells c arefully so as y o u deface not the kernels ; ,

( and therefore you must take choise of such nuts as have this
S hell ) whatsoever you find t o come away easily remove it ,

s t eepe these kernels in conduit water forty eight h o ur es ,

-
,

then will they S well and grow very plumpe and faire and y o u ,

may pill them eas ily and present to any friend you have for
,

a Newy ea r e s gift ; b u t be ing pilled they must be eaten

’

within two or thr ee h ou res or else they lose their wh it en es s e ,

and bea u ti e but unpil led they will last two or three d a i es
,

faire and fresh This of a ki nde gentlewoman whose S kill

.
,

I doe highly commend and whose cas e I doe greatly pitti e ;

,

s uch are the hard fortunes of the best wits and natures in our

d a i es — Sir Hugh Platt D eli ghts for Lad i es 1 5 94 , , .

M
To A KE WATE R I MPE RI ALL FOR ALL S ORE P LACE S Take .
—
two h an d fu ll s of red s age leaves a handful ] of celan di ne a , ,

gallon of pure water and put the h ear be s in it and let them
bo il long and then s t r ain e the h ear b es thro u gh a strainer and
take the liquid and set it over the fire again Take a pinte .

of English honey a good handful] of R ock All um and a good

h a n dq of Thyme and let them boyl all together three or
four tim es then let the S ki m me be taken off and when it is
,

cold put it in an Earthen pot or bottle so as it may be kept

—
clo se Th e Good Hou s ewife s j ewell 1 5 8 5 ’

, .

To MAKE A W HI TE Boil a Quart of Cream with large

-
P OT .
-

Mace let it stand till it is almost cold ; then beat the Yolks of
,

eight Eggs and put them into the Cream with Salt and Sugar
,

to your Taste Lay thin Slices of White Bread in the Bottom

.

of the Dish and l ay on them sliced Dates Raisins of the Sun

, , ,

or what Sweet meats you please with bits of Marrow or of

-
, ,

fresh B utter ; then lay another Layer of Bread Fruit etc , ,

till the Dish is full grating Nut meg between every La yer ;
,

then pu t in your Cre am and lay Slices of Bread and Bits of

—
,

B tter on the top of al l and bake i t From Th e Recei pt B ook

u , .

of j ohn M iddl eton 1 73 4

‘

.
,
 CHAP TE R IX

OF THE PI CK I NG AND D RYI NG OF HE R BS

A r i s t o t e l l t h e pr i n c e o f ph il o s o ph e r s s a y et h i n m an e y e
pl a c e s th a t e v e r y e s c i e n c e i s O f t h e nd e of ky
o od t h y n ge s g
g g
, .

B u t n o twi th s t a n d i n t h e O pe r a ti o n s o m e ty m e i s oo d
g
,

s o m e t y m e e v e ll , t h e s c i e n c e i s c h a u n e d t o a 00d o r t o
a n e v e ll e n d e t o w hi c h i t w o r e th
, k -Th e boke o
. th e s ecr ets
of A l ber tu s M a gn u s of th e ver tu es of h er bes , s tone s a n d cer ta i ne
bea s tes , 1 5 6 9 .

ALL the northern nations had runes or charms for the

picking of herbs but unfortunately most of these have been
,

lost for as nearly all the man u scripts were written by monks
,

they omitted the old pagan charms There are traces of .

Scandinavian mythology to be found in the oldest herbals ,

but of the runes nothing remains with the rare e x ception ,

of perhaps the name of an idol such as Lelel ot h gi ven after , ,

the names of the four Apostles In the Peniten tial of .

Theodore Archbishop of Canterbury one of the oldest

, ,

books of penalties for o ffences against the l aws of th e Church ,

there are given the penalties to be imposed on those who

practised the old heathen rites connected with pl ants and
trees and when the monks transcribed herbals they sub
,

stituted Christian prayers for the old charm s Some of !

.

these prayers are very beautiful and the following da tes ,

back t o at least the fourteenth cent u ry and is probably ,

much ol der
H a il e b e th o u h o l l e h e a r b e
g g
G r o wi n o n t h e r o u n d
t
Al l i n t h e m o u n O f Cal var i e
t
F ir s wer tt
h o u fou n d
g
. .

Th o u a r t oo d fo r m a n i e a s o r e
An d h e a l e s t m a n i e a wo u n d
I n t h e n am e o f s w e e t e e s u s J
t k t
I a e h e e f r o m t h e r o u nd g .

2 00
2 02 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS
that there is a great deal in these old beliefs William Coles .
,

in h is Ar t of S i mpl i n g is very scornful of the old

herbalists in this matter And now I have done with the .

setting of Pl ants give me leave to speak somewhat of the

,

gathering them also : Some of the Antients and divers ,

Modern writers which have professed Astrology have noted ,

a Sym pathy be tween the Sunne Moon and some principal , ,

Starres and certain Plants and so they have denomi nated

, ,

some Herbes Sol ar and some Lunar and such toyes put
, ,

into great words Amongst which Mast er Culpep per (a

.

man now dead and therefore I S hall speak of him as modestly

,

as I can for were he alive I should be more plain with him )

, ,

was a great stickler ; And he forsooth j udgeth all men unfit , ,

to be Physicians who are not Artists in Astrology as if he

, ,

and some oth er Figure fli n ger s his companions had been -

, ,

the only Phys icians in England whereas for ought I can ,

gather either by his Books or le ar n e from the report of

, ,

others he was a man very ignorant in the form of Simples

, .

Many Books indeed he hath tumbled over and transcribed ,

as much out of them as he thought would S erve his turne

,

( though many times he were th ere i n mi staken ) b ut added ,

very littl e of his owh e Herbs are more antient than

.

the Sunne or Moon or Starres they being created on the

, , ,

fourth day whereas plants were the third Thus did God .

even at first confute the folly of those Astrologers who goe ,

about t o maintain that al l vegetables in their growth are

enslaved to a nece ss ary a n d u n av oi d ab le dependence on ~

t h e influences of the Starres Whereas Plants were even .

,

when Planets were not .

And now to turn to more practical matters ! Nearly

all herbs are a t their best when they are goin g t o flower ~

Th e young tops and flowers contain more virtues than the

older leaves They sh ould always be picked when the dew
.

has well dried o ff them but before the sun is at its hottest
, .

No herbs S hould ever be dried in the sunlight as this ext r acts ,

so much of their virtue They should be hung in small .

bunches in a dark dry place with paper over them to keep off
, ,

the dust and as soon as they are perfectly dry they should
,
OF THE PI CKI NG AND D RYI NG OF HE RBS 2 03

be powdered and put into airtight tins or preferably in , ,

well corked bottles

-
If in the latter they S hould be kept
.

in the dark There is no co m pariso n between the flavour

.

of herb s kept in bags an d t h os e in bottles for the former ,

naturally lose more than half their goodness One of the .

easiest ways of drying herbs if you have no proper drying

S hed is to spread the m in thin layers in a cool ove n No .

writer has put more concisely the directions for picking

herbs than old Sir John Hill When the whole plant dies
.

the root is seldom of any value b ut when the root remains

,

many years sends up many S hoots in the Spring it commonly

, ,

has great virtue There is very little to be expected in

.

th e roots of annual plants : their seeds for the most part

contain their greatest virtue In others the root lives
.

through the Winter and there arise from it large leaves in

,

the Spring before the stalk appears These are to be dis .

t i n gu i s h ed from those which afterwards grow on the Stalk ,

for they are mo re j uicy and for many Purpo ses much better
, .

When the leaves of any Plant are said to be the part fittest
for use they are not to be taken from the stalk but these ,

large ones growing fro m the roots are to b e chos en and these ,

when there is no stalk if that can be for then only are they ,

fullest of j uic e and h ave their compleat virtue ; the stalk

runn ing away with the nourishment from them This is .

so much done in some plants that al though the Leaves

growing from Ro ot were very vigorous before the stalk grew
up they di e and wither as it rise s Nature in th e whole .

growt h of plants tends to the production of their flowers

and s eed but when they are ripe the rest begins to decay
, ,

having done its Du ty so that the time when the entire Plant
,

is in its most full Perfection is when it is in the Bud when the

Heads are formed for flowering but not a S ingle Fl ower ,

has yet disclosed itself Th e tops of the plan t are always

’

preferable t o the whole Plant for i mmediate use Th e tim e .

of the Day must be when the m orning Dew is dried away .

Th is is a very material circums tance for if they be cut wet ,

with the Dew Herbs will not dry well and if they be cut
, ,

at Noon Day when the su n h as m ade the Leaves flag they

, ,
2 04 A GA R DE N OF HE R BS

will not have the ir full Power Care must also be taken to .

cut them on a dry day for the wet of Rain will do as much,

harm as that of Dew When the Herbs are thus gathered .

th ey a r e to be looked over the decayed Leaves picked off

'
, ,

and the d ead ends of the stal ks cut away They are then .
!

to be tied up into small bunches the less the better a n d hung , ,

upon Lines drawn across the room where the windows and
doors are to be kept open in good weather ; the Bunches
are to be kept half a foot asunder and they are to hang till ,

perfect ly dry They are then to be taken s oftly down

.
,

without S haking off the Buds of the flowers a n d l a id evenl y , ,

in a Drawer pressing them d o wn and covering them with

,
t } (
paper 1, .

A drying shed is a very charming adj unct to a herb garden

-
,

and though it is not at a l l scientific it is very delightful ,

t o see great bunches of herbs h anging up in the old fashione d -

way Th e most interesting drying shed I know belongs

.
-

to a herbalist who lives in a remote village in Devonshire .

Her cottage which looks as th ou gh i t had bee n comfortably

,

tucked up in its garden for cent u ries is very tiny and the , ,

garden surrounded by a typical Devonshire bank is full

, ,

of herbs bo th wild and Cultivated Th e o wner comes of .

the fine old English yeoman stock and one never sees her ,

without feeling it is a privilege to know any one with such

beautiful old fashioned manners She is a tall splen did
-
.
,

looking woman well over eigh ty but not in the least bent , ,

and it is ob v ious S h e has never known a moment s boredom ’

.

Th e least observant stranger would realise S h e was a sil ent

person and any chil d would very soon c lass her as one of
,

th o se comfortable grown ups who do not bother one with -

silly questions To listen to her tal king about her beloved

.

herbs is a j oy and t o see her working in the garden amongst

,

them would rej oice the heart of any artist But to return .

to her drying shed This is on the sunniest side of the house

-
.
,

and of course it is quite dark as nothing is worse fo r ,

herb s than to d r y them where the sunlight can reach them .

From the old beam which runs the length of the roof hang
bunches of all the herbs she uses z Meadowswee t elder
‘

-
,
 CHAPTE R X

OF SWEET S CE NTS
fl
S c e n ts a r e t h e s o u l s o f o wer s : t h e m a
y b e y ev en

pe r c e pt i b l e i n t h e l a n d o f s h ad o w s Th e t ul i p 18 a fl owe r
y
.

wi th o u t a s o n ] , b u t t h e r o s e an d t h e l i l s eem t o h a v e
”
on e
J
.

- OU B E RT .

y
I f o d o u r s m a y wo r k e s a ti s facti on th e a r e s o s o v er a i gn e
,

i n pl an ts a n d s o co m fo r ta b l e th a t n o c o n fec ti o n o f t h e
a po th e c a r i e s can q
e u a l] th e ir x
e ce ll en t V e r t u e
”
J 0 h n .
—
G er ar d , Th e H er ba l l 1 5 9 7 , .

S m e ll s a n d o th e r od o u r s a r e s weete r i n th e Ai r at s om e
d i s tan c e F o r w e s e e th a t i n S o u n d s l i k e wi s e th e a r e s w e e tes t
y
.

wh en w e c a n n o t h e a r e v e r pa r t b y i ts e l f o r a ll s w e e t
j y
.

s m e ll s h a v e o i n e d wi th th e m s o m e ear th l o r c r u d e od ou r s
a n d a t s o m e d i s tan c e t h e s w ee t whi ch i s t h e m o r e 5 ir i tu al
is er c e i v e d a n d th e e ar th y
r e a ch e s n o t s o far
”

p
11 ,
.

S y va S y l var u m .

THE M al mes bu r y Ch r on i cl e tells u s that when Hugh the

Great the father of Hugh Capet asked in marriage the s ister
, ,

o f King Athelstan of England he sent her g ifts of per fumes

,

the like of which had never before been seen in England We .

have always lack ed the S kill of the professio n al perfumers of

the Continent but when English wo men were wise enough
,

to m ake their own perfumes sweet waters washing ball s , ,

-
,

po m anders and sweet linen bags fro m their herb gardens

, ,

they were unrivalled We know that at least as early a s

.

the twelfth century the French perfume makers were of -

sufficient i m portance to be granted a ch arter but there was ,

n o such trade in England for centuries later and even in ,

Chaucer s day it was only po ssible to buy perfum es fro m

’

the mercers From crusading days the far famed pe r fum es

.
-

of the East were valued gifts amongst the nobili ty of the

Continent but in En gland they never fo und so much favour ;
,

2 06
 OF SWEET S CE NTS 2 07

and when perfumes became the fashi on in E li zabeth s reign

’

it was to the herb garden the English women turned rather

than to the pr oducts of Eastern lands For at leas t two .

hundred years rose water was the perfume most in request

-
,

and it was always used after banquets for was hing the hands .

’
When one remembers that as late as James I s reign it was
regarded as foppish to use a fork one re al ises that these ,

salvers of rose or S weet waters must have been more of a

necessity than a luxury Th e custom of having scented
.

gloves and j er k in s was introduced by that Elizabethan dandy

Edward de Vere Earl of Oxford on his return from Italy
, , .

Q ueen Elizabeth the same year had a pair of scented gloves ,

with which she was so del ighted t h at they were painted in

h er next po r trait and she was mightil y pleased when another
,

courtier gave her a gy r dl e of pomanders Excepting .

during the P u ritan r egi me the use of perfumes in every way

became rapidly so po pular that all the small country houses
soon had their still rooms and the delightful custom of
-
,

scenting rooms with fragrant herbs was almost uni versal .

Of this cust om Sir Hugh Platt i n his Gar d en of E d en ~

writes I hold it for a most delicate and pleasing thing to

have a fair galler y great chamber or other lodging that open
, ,

eth fully upon the East or West sun to be inwardly garnished ,

with S weet Hear b s and Flowers yea and Fruit if it were ,

possible For the pe rformance whereof I have thought of

.
,

these courses follo wing First y ou may have fair S weet

.
,

Mar j er om Basil Carnation or Rosemary pots et c to

"

-
, , , ,

stand loosely upon fair S helves which p ots you may let down ,

at your pleasure in apt frames with a pulley from your Cham

ber window into your garden or you may place them upon ,

S helves m ade without the R oo m there to receive the warm ,

Sun or temperate Rain at your pleasure now and then whe n

, ,

you see cause In every window you may m ake square

.

frames either of Lead or of Boards well pitched within fill ,

them with some rich earth and plant such Flowers or Hear bs
,

therein as you like bes t ; if Hear b s you may keep them in ,

the S hape of gr een b o r d er s or other form And if you plant

, .

the m with Rosemary you may maintain th e s a m e r unnin g

,
2 08 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS
up your windows And in the shady places of the Room ,

you may prove if such shady plants as do grow abroad out

of the Sun will not also grow there as sweet Bryars Bays
, , ,

Germander etc But you m ust often set open your Case
, .

ments especial ly in the day time which wo uld also be many

, ,

in numb er ; because Flowers delight and prospe r best in the

open Air You may also hang in the Roof and about the
.
,

S ides of this R oom small Pompions or Co wcu mb er s pricked

, ,

full of Barley first making holes for the Barley and these
, ,

will be overgrown with green spires so as the Pompion or ,

Cowcu mb er will not appear .

Extravagance in perfumes was never so great in England

as in France where during the rei gn of Louis XV it reached
its high water mark Th e court then was in truth l a cou r
-
.

p arf u mé e and the strict rules

, of etiquette prescribed the use
of a di fferent perfume each day Madame de Pompadour .

spent ,
livres a year on perfumes for the use of her
household at Choisy No r have we in England raised the .

sense of smell to an art like the Breton peasant of whom

Di d er on tells us in his A n n al es Ar chéol ogi qu es This peasant .
,

after musing over the scents of the flowers in the fields ,

claimed t o have discovered the harmonious relation between '

odours He came t o Paris to give a concert of perfum es

. ,

but they took him for a madman Perhaps like so many .

,

mad men he was only in advance of his times a n d is not

’

,
‘
modern science returning to the ancient belief in the value
of wholesome and refreshing scent s ?
Th e old herbalists were never weary of teaching the value
of the scents of our aromatic herbs How great was the
. .

popul ar belief in rosemary to ward off infection m ay be

’

gathered from the fact that during the great plague in Charles
I I S ti m e s m all bunches of rosem ary were sold for six and
’

eightpence Before t h e plague an armful cost but twelve

. ,

pence Till recently there were at least two curious su rvivals

.

— ’
of this belief in herbal scents the doctors gold headed cane -

whi ch formerly contained a vinaigrette and the little bou ,

q u e t s carried by the clergy at the distribution of the Maundy

money in West minster Abbey ”
Physicians wrote Mon .
,
219 A GA R D EN OF HE R BS

have departed we can enj oy the perfumes of th e sweet

leaved Herbs and pl ants such as R osemary Bay and Thyme , .

Even when withered in the depth of winter how full of fra ,

gr a n c e are the natural H erb gardens of the south of Europe ,

where one walks over stretches of dry Thyme and Lavender ,

every step crushing out their sweetness .

A COM FORTAB LE P O M ANDE R F OR THE B RA I NE Take .

-

Labdanum one ounce Benj amin and Storax of each two ,

drams Damasko powder finely searced one Dram Cloves

, , ,

and Mace of each a little a Nutmeg and a little Camphire , ,

Muske and Civet a li ttle First h ea t e your morter and pestle

.

with c o al es then make them v er i e cleane and put in your

,

labdanum beate i t till it waxe softe p ut to it t wo or three

, ,

drops of o y l of spike and so labour them a while then put

,

in all the rest finely in powder and wo r k e them till all be ,

incorporated then take i t out an oy n tin g your han ds with

, ,

Civet roll it up and with a Bod kin pierce a hole thoro w i t

, .

Ram
’
s Li ttl e D od oen , 1 6 06 .

A B AG TO S ME LL U NTo F OR M E LANC HO LY OR TOCA U S E ONE

—
,

TO S LE E P Take drie R ose leaves keep them close in a glasse

.
,

which will keep them sweet then take powder of Mints , ,

po wder of Cloves in a grosse powder and pu t the same to the ,

R ose leaves then put all these toge ther in a bag and take
, ,

that to bed with you and it will cause you to sleep and it is
—
, ,

good to smell unto at other time s I bi d .

To RE NE W POM THE S E NT O F A A ND E R .
—Take one grain of
Civet and two of Musk or if you double the proportion it
, , ,

wi l l bee so much the S weeter ; grinde them upon a stone with

a little Rose water ; and after wetting your hands with
-

R ose water you may wo r k e the same in your Pomander

-
.

This is a S leight to passe away an old Pomander ; but my

intention is hones t I bi d -
.

Ho w To GATHE R A ND CLAR I F I E there MAY -

DEW .
—
When
hath fallen no raine the night before then with a cleane and ,

large sponge the next morning you may gather the same
, ,
 OF S WEET S CENTS 211

from sweet h erbs grasse or co m e : s tr a in e your dew and

, ,

ex pose it to the Sun in gl asses covered with papers or parch

ments pr i ck t full of holes ; s tr ain e it Often c o n tin u in g i t in ,
'

the Sun and in an hot place till the same grow white and
, ,

cleare which will require the best part of the Summer

,
.

Some commend May dew gathered from Fennell an d -

,

Cel andine to be most excellent for sore eyes and some com
mend the same ( prepared as before ) above Rose water for -

preserving of fruits flowers etc I bi d

,
— , .
’

A DE LI CATE WAS HI NG B ALL -

.
—Take three ounces Of or a ce ,

hal fe an ounce of Cypres two ounces of Ca la mu s A r oma ti cu s

, ,

one ounce of Rose leaves two ounces of Lavender flowers ,

beat all these together in a mortar searcing them tho r ow a ,

fine Searce then scrape some Ga s till sope and dissolve it

, ,

wit h some Rose water then incorp orate all your powders
-

therewith by labouring Of them well in a mortar —

,
’

, I bzd . .

—
A S COTTI S H HAN D WATE R Put Thym e Lavender and .
,

Rosemary confuse dl y together then make a lay of thicke ,

wine Lees in the bottom of a stone pot u pon which m ake ,

another lay of the said h ear b s and then a lay of Le es and , ,

then so forward lute the pot well bury it in the ground for ,

six weeks ; distil it A little thereof put into a bason of

.

com mon wat er m ak eth very s weete washing water I bi d

'

-
. .

AN E D AM AS K P OW DE R —You may take of

XCE LLE NT
Rose leaves four ounces cloves one ounce lignum Rhodium
, ,

two ounces Storax one ounce and a halfe Muske and Civet
, ,

of each ten grains ; beat and incorporate them well together .

JE S E MA I N —
W ATE R Ta ke
two handfuls of J es em e flowers
and put them into a fl a go n or earth en pot put to them about ,

a quar t Of fair water and a quarter of a pound of Sugar let ,

this stand and steep about half an hour then take your water ,

and flowers and pour them out of one vessel into another
till such time as the water hath taken the s ent and tast of
the flowers then set it in a co ol place a cooling and you will
,
212 ;
A GA R DE N OF HE R B S
find it a most excellent s ented water — . A P erfect S c hool of .

I n s tr ucti on s f or th e Ofii cer s of th e M on th by Giles R ose one , ,

of the Master Cooks to Charles II 1 6 8 2 , .

O RA NGE F LOWE R WATE R —Take one handful orange

-

flowers and put them to about a quart of water and a

quarter of a pound O f sugar and do with them as you did
—
with your J es em e I bid .

K I NGE DWAR D S
’
s po on full s of —
P E RF UM E Take twelve
right red rose water the weight of S i x pence in fine powder
-
,

Of sugar and boyl it on hot Embers and coals softly and the
, ,

house will smell as though it were f ul l of R oses but y o u must ,

burn the sweet Cypress wood before to take away the gross
—
,

ayre Th e Qu een s Cl os et Open ed by W M Cook to Queen

’
. .
, ,

Henrietta Maria 1 6 5 5 , .

TO MAKE AN I PS W I CH BALL
a pound of fine white .
—
Take
Sope shave it thin in a pinte of R ose water and let
Ca s t ill ,
-
,

it stand two or three dayes then pour all the water from it , ,

and put to it half a pinte of fresh water and so let it stand ,

one whole day then pour out that and put half a pinte more
, , ,

and let it stand a night more then put to it half an ounce of ,

powder called sweet Marj oram a quarter of an oun ce of ,

powder of Winter Savoury two or three drops of the oy l of ,

Spike and the Oy l of Cloves three gr ains of Musk and as

, , ,

much Ambergris work all these together in a fair Mortar, ,

with the powder Of an Almond Cake d r y ed and beaten as ,

small as fine fl owr e S O r owl it round in your hands in Rose

water —I bzd
,
'

. .

AM OS T P RE CI O U S O I NTME NT FOR ALL MANNE R OF ACHE s

AND B R U I S E S ; A N D A LS O FO R THE RE D NE S S O F THE FACE .

Take Violet Pri m rose Elder Cowslip leafs and flowers ;

, , , ,

Sage Mugwort Ragweed white Lillies St J oh n s wor t

, , , , .
,

Smallage Marj oram Lavender S oth er n wo o d R osemary

, , , , ,

Rose leafs Ru e Feth er few Tansie Lovage Mint Camomile

-
, , , , , , ,

Thyme Dill Cl ary Oak of Jerusalem P en y r o y al Hy so p

, , , , , ,

Balm White Mint Marygold Peony leafs Bay l eafs Saffr on

, , ,
-
,
-
, ,
2 14 AG A RDE N OF HE RBS

and a Quart of Water and a quart of Cl aret t ill it is wasted

, ,

a third Part Then put in two Handfuls Of Scurvy gras s

.
-
,

the Peel of two S ev il Oranges and as much po wd er d Myrrh ,

’

a s will lie on a Shilling t wice ; stir them well together and ,

when they boil up strain it A mouthful of this Water

, . .

being held in the mouth as long as you can once or twice ,

a Day is go od for the Scurvy makes the Gums grow up to

—
, ,

the Teeth and faste n s the m if loose I bi d

, . .

TO M AK E P O M ANDE R Take Benj amin Labdanum

A .
-
,

and Storaxof each an ounce Then heat a mortar very hot .

and beat them all to a pe rfect paste adding four grains of

Civet and S i x of musk Then roll your paste into small beads
.
,

make holes in them and string them while they are hot .

From Th e Recei pt B ook of J oh n M i ddl eton 1 7 3 4 , .

A SW EE T-
S CE NTE D Roses Citron peel —
B ATH Take of , ,

Sweet flowers Orange flowers Jessamy Bays R osemary

, , , , ,

Lavender Mint Pennyroyal of each a su ffi cient quantity

, , , ,

boil them together gently and ma ke a Bath to which add

Oy l Of Spike six drops musk five grains Ambergris three
grain s —I bid
, ,

FO R A B ATH — Take of Sage Lavender flowers Rose

. , ,

flowers of each two handfuls a little salt boil them in water or, ,

lye and m ake a bath not too hot in which bathe the Body
—
,

in a morning or two hours before Meat I bi d

, .

A PE RF UM E TO PE RF UME ANY S ORT OF Co NFE CTI ONs .

Take m usk the like quantity of Oil of Nutmeg infuse in them

, ,

R ose water and with it sprinkle your Banqueting prepara

-

—
,
’
tions and the scent will be as pleasing as the tast e E ngl an d s
n ewes t wa y i n a ll s or ts of Cooker y by Henry Howard Free , ,

Cook of London 1 7 1 0 , .

To MAKE S P I RI T OF LI LLE
Gather Y OF THE VALLE Y .
-

your Lilley oi the Valley Flowers when they are dry and
- - -
, ,

pic k them from the Stalks ; then put a quarter of a pint

of them into a Quart of Brandy and so in pro portion to , ,

infus e S i x Or ei ght da ys ; then distil it in a cold Still mar king ,

 OF SWEET S CE NTS 21 5

the Bo ttles a s they ar e d rawn O ff wh ich is firs t s e cond

, , ,

and third etc When you have d i s till d them take the
, .
’

first and so on to the third or fourth a nd mix them together

, , ,

till you have as strong as you desire ; and then bottle them ,

and cork them well putting a lump of Loaf sugar into each ,
-

Bottle .

This serves in the room Of Orange Flower Water in -

Puddings and to perfume Cakes ; though it is drank as a

,

Dram in Norway R Bradley Th e Coun tr y Hous ewife .

-
.
,

D i r ector
’
an d La dy s , 1 732 .

FOR FACE —Take a small Handful of Strawberry

THE
Leaves as much Cinquefoil the same quantity of Tansey
, ,

or of Mallows and four Handfuls of Plan t a n e Leaves pick

, ,

th em cl ean put them into an Ale m b i ck and also two quarts

~

, ,

of Mil k from the Co w when it has d r opp d a quart draw Off ,

’

no more Wet a Linen Cloth in this distil led Water and

.
,

wash the Face with it at Night in Bed and several times , ,

in the Day if you please Th e best time to make this .

Water in is May It may be kept in a glass Bott l e the

—
.
,

whole year From Th e Recei pt B ook of Ch a r l es Car ter

.
,

Cook to the Duke of Argyll 1 7 3 2 , .

A n other —Take a quart of running Water put it into

.
,

an earthen Pipkin with half an Ounce of white Mercury ,

finely powdered set it on the Fire keep it close covered but, , ,

When you are stirring it let it boil till one half is wasted ; ,

in the meantime boil the Whites Of three new laid Eggs -

,

for half an Hour or more then slip them into the Li quor , ,

when you have taken it o ff the Fire ; add to it some Juice of

Lemons and a quarter of a pint of Ne w Milk and two ounces
, ,

of Almonds blanch ed and pounded and also a quarter Of a

, ,

pint of Damask Rose water Strain it and let it stand -

.
,

th r ee weeks before it is us d wash with it and it will render

’

the Face fain —I bi d

, ,

To MA KE
PAS TE FOR THE HA ND S Take half a po und
A .
-

of bitter Al monds bl anch and po und them and as y ou are , ,

216 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS

poun di ng the m put in a handful of ston d Raisins and po und

’

, ,

them together till the Mass is well incorporated and very

fine ; then add a Spo onful or two of Brandy the s ame ,

quantity of Ox Ga ll and two spo onfuls Of brown Sugar ,

and the Yolks of a couple of small eggs or of one large one ; ,

and after these have all been beaten well t ogether except ,

the Almonds let it have two or three boils over the Fire
, ,

put in the Almonds Put it up in a Gallipot the next Day

.
,

cover it cl ose keep it cool and it will keep go od half a Year

, , .

I bi d .

To C LE AN AN D S OFTE N THE HA ND S Ta e fo ur Ounces — k

Of b l an ch d Almonds beaten fine into a quart
’
of Milk ; as
k
soon as it begins t o boil ta e it o ff and thic ken it with a ,

couple of Yolks of Eggs set it on the Fire again let it be , ,

kept continually stirring both before and after the Eggs

are put in ; when you tak e it Off the Fire add two small spo on ,

fuls of Oil and put it up in a Gallipot for use A Bit of

, .

this about the Bigness of a Wal nut rubbed about the Hands ,

the Dirt wil l rub o ff and it Will render them very soft and
,

s mooth When you have used it it will be proper to put

.
,

on Gl oves If one Person only be to u se it half the quantity

.
,

may suffi ce to be made at once for it will not hold good abo ve ,

—
a Week I bi d .

To MAKE AN E X CE LLE NT
a pound —
PE RF UM E Take half
of Damask Rose Buds cut clear from the Whites stamp ,

them well and add to them two large Spo onfuls o f Damask
,

R ose water put them into a Bottle stop t hem close let them
-
, , ,

stand all night then take two Ounces and a h al f of Benj amin
, ,

beat it fine add twenty grains of Musk and (if you please )
, ,

as much Civet mingle these with the Roses beating al l

, ,

well together make it up in little Ca kes and dr y the m

—
, ,

between Sheets of Paper I bi ai . .

To MA KE PE RF UME D
W AS H BALLS - Dissolve M us k in -
.

sweet compounded Water then take about th e quantity ,

of one Wash ball of this Co m po sition and mix it together

-
,
2 18 A GA RDE N OF HE RBS
as it would mould and spoil the whole Th e best flowers , .

for the purpose are roses (damask) Moss roses and the Old -
,

cabbage roses best Of all lavender clove carnations wood

-
, , ,

ruff rose mary violets S weet verbena and in fa c t any sweet

, , ,
-

smelling flowers Leaves of the sweet bay Sweet Briar .

, ,

Balm Lemon Thyme and even a l i ttl e Mint are all good
, , , , .

Th e rind of a lemon or two and the rind Of Tangerine and ,

oranges ( c ut in strips) may be added Have ready a mixture , .

composed of one pound of Ki tchen Salt half pound Bay salt , ,

half oz Of Storax 6 drachms of Orris root a grated Nutmeg

.
, , ,

half a teaspoonful of ground cloves half a teaspo onful of a ll ,

spice and 1 oz Of oil of Bergamot Th e Bay salt must be

. .

pounded and all the dry ingredients well mixed then add ,

the Bergamot and mix aga i n e Pu t a layer of this at the

, .

bottom of your j ar then a layer Of dried flowers alter n ati vely

,

and keep the j ar cl os ed Turn it over frequent ly espe cially .

1
at fir s t .

—On e pint rectified spirits one ounce

E AU DE CO LO G NE ,

orange fl ower water two drams Oil of bergamot two drams

-
, ,

Oi l of lemon twenty minims oil of rose m ary twenty minims

, ,

Oi l of nero l i Allow the mixture to stand for a couple of

.

months thoroughly shaki n g at interval s Filter if neces s ary

—Mrs Charles Rou n d ell The S ti ll r oom
. .
,

-
. .
,

For Lavender Water s ee under , Lavender .

1
Mi s s L d i a y F r as e r , of th e Ma n s e Of S pr o u s to n , K e ls o , ki n d l y
gave me th i s e xc e l l e n t Old S c o tc h R e c e i pt .
 Thus have I ended my booke and y f to some I
S hall seeme not fu ll y e to have satisfied their d es y r es herein

a c cor di n ge to their expe ctation or not so cu n ni n gl y e have

handl ed the same as the matter itself offereth and is worthy

of then I reterre my selfe wh oly e to ye learned correction
,

of the Wi se d es y r y n ge th ey m fr en d ely e to geev e knowledge

,

to the printer or to me and b einge detected of my fault

, , ,

wy ll wy llyn gely e correct and amend the same for well I

wotte that no treatise can al wai es so workmanl y be h an d eled
but that somewhat so metimes may fall out amisse contrary
both to the minde Of the wr y ter and contrary to the expecta
tion of the reader Wherefore my petition to the gentle
.

reader is to accept these my t r ev a ils with that minde I do offer

them to thee and to ta ke gen tely e that I geev e gladly in so,

doinge I shal th in k e my paynes well bestowed and sh al be

encouraged hereafter to trust more unto thy cu r t es y e
, .

And theref ore I cr a v ve at thy b andes the th an k efu ll accept

an ce of these rude labours of myne Th e favour of God
.

”
bee with th ee a lwa y es Thomas Hill Th e P r ofita bl e A r te
-
’

.
,

of Ga r d en i n ge 1 5 68
, .
 AUTHO R I TIES
MS S H er b a l s (H a r l ei an
. 2 3 78 ;
S l o a n e 2 5 8 4 ; S l o an e 5 2 1 ; Har l ei a n
5 2 94 ; H a r l ei a n 4 9 8 6 ; H ar l e i an 1 5 8 5 ; Ad d i ti o n al MS . 1 70 6 3 ;
S l o an e 2 8 2 ; S l o a n e 1 2 0 1 ; S l oan e

1 44 0 . Th e P e ate of G a r d en in g . MA Y S TE R J O N GA RD E N E R .
’

15 25 . H er e b e gy n n y t h a n ew m a tt e r t h e wh i c h e s h eweth e v er u es t
and p p
r o r t
y se of h er b e s t h e w h i c h e i s call e d a n h er a ll . Im
p r i n etd b y m e R I C HA R D B A N C KE S , e tc .

1525 . Th e Li ttl e Her b a l l .

1526 . Th e G r ete H er b al l . P E TE R TR E V E R I S .

152 7 T h e v i r t u o s e b O k e o f Di s t y ll a c i o n o f t h e w a t e rs o f a ll m a n e r
y
.

H e r b es F i r s t m ad e a n d c o m py l e d b y t h e t h y r t e er es
s tu d y
a n d l a b o u r o f t h e m o s t c o n n e a n d f am o u s m a s t e r o f y g y
ph is y k e Mas ter J H E R O M B RU N S W Y K E
, An d n o w n e wl . y
tr a n s l a ted o u t o f D u y c h e i n to E n gl y s s h e .

15 30 . Ma c er s H e r b al p r a c t y s e d b y
D o c or L y n a c r o
, t
t y t
o u t o f L a e n i n o E n gl s s h e , w h i c h s h e w n ge
y h e i t
t
a n d v e r u e s s et i n t h e m a r e n of hi s o e to t h e e engy o ut t Bk xt t
k
m y gh t n o w t h ey r v er u e s I m pr i n e d b y m e R O B E R T W E R
t . t Y .

15 30 . y
A b o k e o f t h e p r o p e r t s o f h e r b e s th e w h i c h e i s c al l e d an
H er b a l l I m pr i n te d b y m e R O B E R T R E D MA N
. .

15 35 . A n e we H er b al e of Mac er . I m pr i n t e d by m e R O B E RT
WY E R .

15 39 . Th e G r ete H er b al] n e wl y t
c o rr e c e d . THO MA S G Y B S ON .

15 41 . A boke of th e pr o pe r t y e s of h er b e s . I m pr i n te d b y TH O MA S
P E TY T .

15 46 . A b o k e o f t h e p r o pe r t y es o f h e r b e s th e wh i c h e i s ca ll e d an
H e r b a ll I m pri n te d b y m e W Y L L Y A M MI D D Y LTO N T
( e
h
y y B y
. .

on l c op o f t hi s i s i n t h e o d l e i a n Li b r ar ) .

1 5 48 . Th e na mes of k
h er b e s i n G r e e , La ti n , E n gl i s h e D u ch e , an d
F r e n c h e wi t h t h e c o m m u n e n am e s th a t H e r b a n e s
’
and
Apo t e c a r i e s u s e . WI LL I A M TU R N E R .

15 50 . A l i ttl e H e r b al] o f t h e pr o p e r ti es o f H e r b es n e wl am en d e d y
a n d co r r e c te d wi th c er t a y n e Ad d i ti o n s a t t h e e n d o f t h e b O k e
d e cl ar i n g fl
wh a t H er b es h a th i n u e n c e o f c er tai n s to r m s a n d
c o n s te l l a ti o n s w h e r e b y
m ay b e c h os e n t h e b e s t a n d m os t l u c ky
y y
t m es an d d a e s o f th e ir m i n is tr ati o n a c co r d i n t o t h e m oo n g
g
b e y n g i n t h e s i n e s o f h e a v en t h e w h i ch i s d ai l a ppo i n te d i n y
t h e Al m a n a ck e ( Th e b oo d o es n ot c o n tai n t h e k c e r ta y n e
B B
.

Ad d i ti on s m e n ti o n e d a b o v e a n d Mr H A RL O W i s o f
y
. . .

o pi n i o n th at t h e w er e n e v e r p r i n t e d ) .

2 20
222 A U THO R I TIES
15 97 . Th e H e r ba l l . J O HN G E RA R D .

1 6 00 . Th e Co u n t r i e F ar m e . L I E B A U L T- S U RFL E T .

1 606 . R am
’
s t
l i tl e D o d o e n . W . RA M .

16 15 . Co u n tr yC on t en tm e n ts . G E RV A S E MA R K HA M .

1615 A G a r d e n o f F l o we r s F a i th fu ll y a n d t r u e l y tr an s l a t ed
g g
. .

o u t o f t h e N e t h e r l a n d i s h o r i i n a l ] i n to E n l i s h for t h e c o m m o n
b e n e fit e o f th o s e th at u n d e r s t a n d n o o t h e r l a n u a e s a n d a l s o g g
fo r t h e b e n e fit e o f o th e r s N e wl p r i n te d b o th i n t h e La ti n y
g g
.

a n d F r e n c h to n u e s a n d a ll a t t h e c h ar e s o f th e Au th o r
P
.

CR I S I N D E P A S S E .

1618 A n e w Or ch ar d a n d G ar d e n W LA WS O N . . .

g y x J
.

1 62 1 . A d e l i h t fu l d a i l e er c i s e fo r La d i e s an d Ge n tl em en . O HN
MU R R E LL .

1 62 5 . y
S l v a S y l v a ru m F RA N C I S A CON . B .

1626 . Ad a m o u t o f E d e n A D OLP HU s S . P EE D .

1 629 . P ar a d is i . J O HN P A RKI N S ON .

1 6 39 A D is co v er y
o f I n n i te Tr e as u r e h i d d e n fi s in ce th e Wo r ld ’
s
Bg g
.

e in n in G A B R I E L P L A TTE S
. .

1 6 39 Th e Ch ar i tab l e P h y s i t i a n . P HI L B E RT G U I B E R T .

J
.

1 6 40 . Th e atr u m B o t a n i c u m . O HN P A R K I N S O N

J
.

1 65 1 . Le ar d i n e d e P l a is i r . AN D R E MO LLE T .

1 65 2 Th e L a d i es D i s pe n s a to r
. L E O N A R D S O WE R B y . Y
B k
.

1 65 3 A . oo o f F r u i t s a n d Fl o we rs .

1 65 3 g
Th e E n l i s h P h y s i t i a n o r a n As tr o l o o -P h s i ca ] D is co u rs e g y
g
.

o f t h e V u l a r H er b s o f t h i s N a t i o n .

1 65 3 A c h o i c e Ma n u a l ] o r r a r e a n d s e l e c t s ec r e ts i n Ph y s i c k a n d
g y
.

Ch i r u r er b y E LI Z A B E TH G R E Co u n t e s s o f K en t Y , .

1 65 4 Th e Ar t o f Co o e r
.
O S E H CO O E R ( Co ok y t o Ch ar l e s I )
. J P P k .

1 65 5 Th Q u e en s Cl os e t Ope n e d
’
W M (Coo t o Q u e e n H en r i etta k
M ?
. . .

ar i a

1 65 5 . Th e L a d i e s Cabi n e t O pen e d P A TRI C K L O R D R u THv E N . .

1 65 5 . H e a l t h s I m pr o v em e n t T MU F F E T . . .

1 65 5 . Th e Com pl e te Co o k .

1 65 6 . Th e Ar t o f S i m pl i n WI LLI A M CO LE S g , .

1 65 9 . Th e Co m pl e a t H u s b a n d m a n S A MU E L H AR TL E B . .

1 6 60 . Th e Ar t and M yt y s er of Coo k y er .

1 6 64 . Th e Co m pl ete G a r d en e r s P r a ct i c e S TE H E N LA K E
’
. P B .

1 666 . K a l e n d a r i u m H o r te n s e O HN E V E L N . J Y .

1 6 68 . x
Ch o i c e a n d E pe r i m e n t a l R e c e i pts S i r K E NE L M D I G B Y . .

1 6 69 . Th e Cl o s et o f S i r K en e l m D i b Op e n e d S ir K E NE LM gy .

DI G B Y .

1 6 70; g
Th e E n l i s h G a r d e n e r . L E ON A R D ME A G E R .

1 671 Th e Ar t a n d M yt y s er of Co o i n k g App r o v ed b y t h e F i ft yfi -
ve
y
.

Y e a r s E pe r i e n c e
’
x an d I n d u s tr . R O B E RT MA Y .

1 6 75 . Th e Q u ee n -l i k e Cl o s e t . WI LLI A M RA B I S HA .
 A U THO R I TIES 223

1 6 77 Th e Cu r i o u s D i s ti ll a to r t h e Ar t o f d i s t ill i n y
c ol o u r e d or g
q g
.

l i u o r s s pi r i t s o y l s e t c fr o m v e e a b l e s a n im a l s , m i n e r a l s
, , .
, t ,

Y
,

a n d m e als t t
A hi n g hi h e r o k n o wn t o f e w t
TH O MA S S HI RL E , t
y
. .

P h ys i c i a n i n o r d i n a r t o Ch a r l e s I I .

1 682 A P e r fe c t S c h o o l o f I n s tr u ct i o n s fo r t h e Offic e r s of th e Mo n th .

k
.

G I L E S R O S E ( Co o t o Ch a r l e s I I )
J
.

1 683 Th e S c o ts G a r d e n er
.
O HN R E I D . .

1 69 2 .Th e G o o d H o u s e w i fe TH O M AS TR O N . Y .

1 69 4 Th e Co m pl e a t H e r b a l o f P h ys i c a l P l a n ts P E CH E J Y .

J
. .
.

1 69 9 Th e Co m pl e a t G a r d n e r O HN E V E L N Y .

J
. .

1 69 9 Ace tar i a O HN E V E L N Y
g
. . .

1 710 Th e E n l is h H e r b a l W I LL I A M S ALM O N
k y
. . .

1 710 .E n gl a n d s n e w e s t w a y i n a l l s o r ts o f Co o e r
’
HE N R . Y
H O WA R D ( F r e e Co o o f Lo n d o n ) k
y g
.

1 712 A Co m pl e t e H i s t o r o f D r u s P I E R RE P O M E T .

P
. .

1 715 .Th e N o b l e m a n , G e n tl em an a n d G ar d e n R e c r e a ti o n S TE HE N ,
.

S U R TZ E R
y k y
.

1 71 6 R o a l Co o e r or t h e Co m pl e te Co u r t Co o P A TR I C K k
y J
. .

k
L A M B ( H e a d Co o s u c c e s s i v e l t o Ch a r l e s I I am e s I I Wi l l i am ,
y
, ,

Ma r a n d An n e ) .

1716 .Th e Co m pl e a t H e r b a l o f To u r n e fo r t tr a n s l ate d b y , J .

MA R TYN
y k y
.

Th e Q u e e n s R o a l Co o e r T H A LL
’
1719

y g
. . . .

1 719 . Th e Ac c om pl i s h e d L a d s D e l i h t
’
Mrs MA R E ALE s . . Y
( Co n f e c t i o n e r t o Q u e e n A n n e )
B J
.

Th e R ec ei pt o h n N o tt ( Coo k k
.

1 72 3 o ok o f to the D u e o f
B
.

o l to n )
y J
.

1 72 6 k
Th e Co o s a n d Co n f e cti o n e r s D i c ti o n a r O HN N O TT
B
. .

( C o o tko t h e D u e o f o l t o n ) k
y
.

1 73 2 Th e Co m pl e a t Ci t a n d Co u n tr y Co o CHA RL E S CA R TE R k
g
. .

( Co o t ko t h e D u e o f A r y ll ) k
y y B
.

1 732 .Th e Co u n t r H o u s e w ife a n d L a d s D i r e c to r R RA D LE

’
Y .

J
. .

1 734 . F i v e H u n d r e d R e c e i pts O H N MI D D L E TO N . .

1 736 Th e Co m p l ete H o u s e w i fe E S M I TH .

B
. . .

1 737 A c u r i o u s H er b a l E L I Z A B E TH LA C K W E LL

y
. . .

1 7 37 . Th e Co m pl ete F a m i l Pi e c e
y g
.

1 7 39 . N e w Tr e a ti s e o f H u s b a n d r G ar d e n i n a n d o t h er Cu r i o u s .

Ma tte r s S A M UE L TR O WE L L
. .

1 739 Th e H o u s e e e pe r s P o c e t
’
k oo S A R A H HA R R I S O Nk B k
P
. . .

1 74 4 Th e Mo d er n Co o k
V I N C E N T L A CHA E LL E ( Ch i e f Co o to k
g
. .

th e Pr i n c e o f O r a n e) .

1 74 5 . A Tr e a ti s e o f a l l S or ts o f F o od L LE M E R . . Y .

1 75 0 Th e P r u d e n t H o u s e wife Mr s F I S H E R
J
. . . .

1 75 4 Th e D i r e ct o r S A RA H A C K S O N
y k y
. . .

1 75 9 A N e w a n d E as Me t h o d o f Co o er E L I Z A B E TH CLE L A N D
k y F
. . .

1 76 7 . Th e Mo d e r n Ar t o f Co o e r Mr s A N N E S HA C K LE O R D o f .

Win ch es ter
.

1 77 2 . B
V i r t u e s o f r i t is h H e r b s S i r O HN H I LL . J .
22 4 A UTHO R I TIES
1 78 0 F l or a Lo n d i n i e n s is W CU R TI S
. .

k y
. .

1 78 4 Th e Ar t o f Coo er Mr s G LA S S E .

g k y B
. . .

1 78 8 Th e E n l is h Ar t o f Co o e r R I C HA R D R I GG S

J
. . .

1 78 9 Th e Co m pl e a t K i tc h e n G a r d e n e r O H N A B E R C R O MB I E

g
. . .

1 7 90 H is to r i c al a n d B i o r a ph i c al S etch e s R P U LTE N E Y k
y
. . . .

1 8 10 Th e F am i l H e r b a l R TH O R N TO N
yl g
. . . .

1822 En c c o paed i a o f G ar d en in R L ON D ON
y J
. . . .

1 86 1 . Th e P h s i c i an s o f My d d v a i O HN P U G HE . .

1 865 Le e c h d o m s Wo r t c u n n i n g a n d S tar c r a ft 0 COCKA Y N E

y
. . . .
,

188 1 A H i s to r o f t h e Cr i e s o f Lo n d o n C H I N D LE Y
B q B
. . . .

1 8 84 . o t a n i u e e t P l an te s Mé d i c i n a l e s A OS S U . . .

1 885 . Ma n u e l d hi s t o ir e Na tu r e l l e Méd i c al e
’
L D E LA N E S S AN .
J . . .

1 89 3 P l a n t Atl as t o m y Wa t er -c u r e ; S K NE I PP
J
. . .

189 6 . Le a r d i n d e l H e r b o r i s t e
’
H CO N E V O N . . .

1 89 7 H e r b a l S i m pl e s D r F E RN I E . .

y
. .

1 899 k
Me d i c al Wo r s o f t h e F o u r tee n th Cen tu r G H E N S L OW
B k y
. . . .

1 90 1 . Th e o o o f H e r b s La d R O S A L I N D N O R THC O TE
. .

1 9 04 z k
Th e Fi t pa tr i c L e c tu r e s fo r 1 9 0 3 J F P A N E . Y
y g g
. . . .

1910 . A H i s to r o f G a r d en i n i n E n l an d Th e H o n Mr s E V E L N . . . Y
CE C I L .

19 1 1 .Th e H er b G a r d e n Mr s B A R D S W E LL
g g
. . .

1912 Th e E n l is h H o u s e wife i n t h e S e v e n te e n th an d E i h tee n th

B
.

Ce n tu r i e s R M RA D L E Y .

B g y
. . .

19 12 .Tr a n s a cti on s o f t h e i b li o r a ph i ca l S oc i e t .
2 26 I NDEX
Chapelle ,
Vincent La 3 6 4 9 , , , Cowslip Wine , 5 6

Ch a r i ta bl e P hy s i ti an , 1 6 3 9 , Damask Powder , 211

4 5 5 2 ,
Dandel ion 5 7 ,

Chaucer 7 ,
Te a 5 7 ,

Chertsey o u Thames 1 3
- -
, Wine , 5 7
Chervi l 4 8 , Danish Invasions , 8
Broth 49 ,
Dawson T 66 ,

Pottage 4 9 , f
D el i ght u l D a i ly E xer ci s e f or
Chickweed 4 9 ,
L a di es a n d Gentl emen ,

Te a , 5 0
Ci ld 9,
D e N a tu r i s Rer u m 9 ,

Cinnamon To s tes , 1 89 D eth i ck e Henry 9 3 , ,

Clary 5 0 , Devonshire Cottage Gardens ,

Fritters 5 1 , 14
Wine 5 0 ,
Digby Sir Kenelm 1 03 2 1 3
, , ,

Cleland Elizabeth , 3 1 , 1 05 ,
, Di ll 5 8
,

1 1 1 , 1 2 0, 1 3 1 , 1 5 9, 1 8 9 to pickle Cucumbers in 5 8 ,

Cl os et f S i r o K enel m Di gby a n d Colly Flower Pickle 5 9 -

,

Open ed 1 03 , , 1 2 3, 1 37 , Druids 8 ,

1 5 3 , 1 69 1 7 5 . . I 7 6 Dutch Garden 6 ,

Coles W 1 6 8 8, ,

Coltsfoot 5 1 , Eales Mrs Mary 5 5 1 92

, .
, ,

Syrup , 52 Eau de Col ogne 2 1 8 ,

Te a 5 2 , Elder 5 9 ,

Compl ete Cook 1 6 5 5 1 60 , , Flower Fritters 6 1 ,

Compl ete F a mi ly P i ece, 1 7 3 7 , Leaves for Freckles 60 ,

I 97 Leaf Tea 6 2 ,

Cooper Joseph 3 4 , 5 4 , 5 9 ,
, , to pickle buds 6 0 , ,

1 18 121 156 , , to pickle tops 6 0 , ,

Coriander 5 2 , Syrup Lady Th ornb u r y s 60

,
’

Water 5 3 , Vinegar 6 1 ,

Cou n tr y Hou s ewif e 8 1 8 5 , , Wine 6 1 ,

Cou n tr y Hou s ewife s Gar d en ,

’
Elder Blossom and Pepper
10 mint Tea 6 2 ,

Cowslip 5 3 , Elder Tree 1 1 ,

to candy 5 5 Ele campane 6 2

Conserve o i —root 6 3
, ,

to conserve 5 4 , ,

Cr eam 5 4 , Paste for lung troubles 6 3 ,

Pickled 5 5 , Toni c 6 4 ,

Pudding 5 6 Endive 6 4
—
, ,

Salates 5 4 , Salate of with Succory 6 4 ,

Syrup 5 6 , E n gli s h Hou s ewife of th e

S y r u pe o f. 5 5 S eventeenth a nd Ei gh
Tart , 5 5 teen th Cen tu r i es , 1 3
 I NDEX 22 7

Evelyn John . . 3 5 45 , , 55 , 7 0, Gi l ly fl o wer s , Syrup , 7 1

8193 , ,
1 2 0, 1 22, 1 3 2 ,
Vinegar 7 0 ,

1 5
3 1 47 , . 1 52 .
1 57 . 1 98 Wine 7 0 ,

Eyebr i ght 6 5 ,
Glasse Mrs 1 5 0
,

Tea 6 5 Good Hou s ewife s Ha n d book

’

, ,
.

Face Water for 2 1 5

, ,
1 5 6
Good Hou s ewife J ewell ,
’
Fairies to enable one to see
, ,
s
1 33
Fairy Butter to make 1 8 9 , ,

F eate of Ga r d en i n g 1 44 0 7 , ,
Gooseberry Vinegar ,
1 9 2
Fennel 6 5 ,
Gr ete Her ball5 39 , 1 , 89
to make one S lender 6 6 ,
Grey Elizabeth Countess
, , of
a Sallet of 6 6 ,
Kent 1 6 9 1 90 , ,

to make white 6 7 ,
Ground Ivy , 7 2
and Gooseberry Sauce 6 7 ,
Tea 7 2 ,

to pickle 67 , Guibert Philbert , , 45 , 52 , 8

7 ,
Tea , 6 7 1 35 , 1 68
Fernie Dr 3 8 44 , .
, , , 56
Feverfew 6 7 , Han d wat er a Sc ottish 2 1 1 , ,

to cure headache ,
67 Harrison Sarah 7 1 , ,

Tea 6 8 , Ha r tli b Samuel 3, ,

Fi fteen th century Herb Gar -

Hawes Stephen 2 1
, ,

dens 7 , Hayden E G 5 6 5 8 6 2 , . .
, , , ,

Flowers to keep all the year

, ,
1 05 ,
1 86
1 91 Helias Patriarch of Jeru
,

to pickle 1 9 1 , salem 8 ,

to make Syrups of 1 9 1 ,
Herb Butter 1 8 8 ,

Fourteenth century Herb -

Herb Drinks and Home
Garden 6 , made Wines 1 6 5 ,

Fox Charles James 1 3

, ,
Apple Peach o r Pear ,

Freckles to take away 6 0, , ,

Water 1 7 3 ,

217 Apple Sugar and Honey , ,

French Puffs to make with , 1 70

green herbs 1 9 2 ,
Apricot Wine 1 8 1 ,

Fritters Vine Leaf 1 9 8

, ,
Birch Wine 1 8 3 ,

Bitters 1 7 4 ,

Gardener Jon 7 53 , , ,
Black Cherry Water for
Ga r d en er s La by r i n th 1 5 7 7 6 3 Children 1 7 3
’

, , ,

Gerard John 1 8 , , Caud l e White 1 7 3 , ,

G i lly fl o we r s 6 8 , Champagne English 1 8 2 , ,

to candy 7 0 Cherry Wine 1 8 0 1 8 1

to make Cl ove —Wine 7 1
, , ,

, Cinamon Water 1 7 0 ,

Co nserve of 7 0 Cordial Dr Butler s 1 6 8

’

, , .
, ,

Syrup of Clove 6 9 ,
2 28 I ND EX
Herb Drinks and Hom e Herb Gardens , 2 et s eq
made Wines (c on ti n ued) Herb Pottages 154
—
,

Currant Water 1 7 2 , Brown oi Herb Roots ,

Currant W ine 1 8 4 1 8 6 , , 156

Damson Wine 1 8 0 , to make Carrot Soup 1 5 8 ,

Delicious Wine 1 7 4 , of Chopped Herbs 1 5 9 ,

Drink an exce llent 1 65

, , a cooling 1 5 4 1 5 9 , ,

Th e Drinke 1 66 , Elder Leaves 1 5 7 ,

Flummery Caudle 1 8 9 , to make the French way ,

Fr on ti ni a c Wine 1 8 2 , 158
Good advice for Home Garlic or Onion 1 5 5 ,

made 1 7 1 , Maigre 1 5 7 1 5 8 , ,

Gooseberry Wine 1 80 , to make Soop in the Spring ,

Ho r d eat or Mu n d i fied I S7
Barley 1 6 7 , Soup de Sant é for Fish
Hydromel 1 6 9 , Days 1 5 6 ,

Hypo cras 1 6 8 1 7 0 1 7 1
, , , Spinage 1 5 5 ,

Lemon Wine 1 7 4 , Herb Puddings 1 6 0 ,

Mead 1 7 8 1 7 9
, ,
Artichoke Cream and
Metheglin 1 7 6 , Sugar 1 6 1 ,

Mi lk Water 1 7 2 ,
Beet R oot 1 6 1
‘

Morello Wine 1 7 8 1 8 1 , , Carrot 1 6 2 1 6 3 , ,

Mountain Wine 1 8 2 , a Flower 1 6 2 ,

Mum 1 7 8 , Green 1 60 ,

Orange Brandy 1 8 5 , Herb 1 6 3 ,

Orange Flower B randy

-
, Herb Dumplings 1 6 4 ,

I 7S Potatoe 1 6 3 ,

Orange Shrub 1 7 4 , Spinage 1 6 1 ,

Posset of Herbs 1 6 5 , Ta ffety Tarts 1 6 0 ,

Q uince Wine 1 83 , Tansy 1 6 1 ,

Ra i sin Wine 1 7 8 1 8 5 ,
-
Tart of Herbs 1 6 2 ,

Raspberry Water 1 7 2 , Herb Robert 7 2 ,

.

Ra s er r y Wine 1 7 5 , Her bal S impl es 4 4 ,

Ros a Solis 1 66 , Herber 6 ,

Sack or Saragossa Wine , Herbs how to draw the b lood

,

1 82 of 1 8 8 ,

Seed Water 1 7 4 ,
picking and drying of , 2 00
Sloe Gin 1 8 6 , Hill Sir John 4 1 3 6 4
, , , , , 1 2 6,
S o u v er ei gn e Water , 1 67 1 39
Spirit of Wine 1 6 7 , Hill Thomas 1 0 6 3
, , ,

Turnip Drink 1 7 7 , ,
1 84 Hi s tor i e of Gr a u nd e A m ou r
Ty s an d 1 66 , an d l a bel l P u cell call ed
U s q u a b a th 1 6 8 , the P a s ti me of P l ea s u r e,
Water Cider 1 7 5 , 1 5 5 4; 2 1
Wine for the Gods , 171 Horehound 7 2 ,
2 30 I NDEX
Ne ckh am Alexander , 9 , Po mander for the Brain 2 1 0 , ,

N ew A r t of Cooker y 1 7 8 8 7 5 , , to make a 2 1 4 ,

Norman Herb Gardens 9 , to renew the scent of 2 1 0 ,

NO t t 1011 11 3 1 6 0 6 7 7 4 7 9
, , ; : : : !
Potatoes 2 ,

Potatoe Biscuits 1 9 5 ,

1 58 , 1 63 , 1 74, 1 7 8 , 1 87 , and Lemon Cheese Cakes ,

I 94
Pi eS weet 1 94
,

, ,

Ointment for all sorts of , Pudding 1 9 5 ,

Aches and Bruises 2 1 2 ,

Tart ,

Old London Street Cr y 7 4 ,

Pot Pourri 2 1 7 ,

Olio for Days of Abs tinence

, , Purslane 9 2 ,

I 93 Pickled 9 3 ,

Orange Flower Wate r , 2 12 Preserved 9 2 ,

Sallet of 93 ,

P a r a d i s i i n S ol e , 16 S allet of Lettuce and 93 ,

Parkinson John 1 6 , , , 7 0 Soup 94 ,

Parsley 8 9 ,

Sauce for a R oste d Rabbit , Q Cl os et Open ed , 1 65 5 ,

’
u een s

90 4 1
Parsnip Cakes 1 93 ,

Partridge John 90 , , , 98 , 1 67 , Rabisha , William , 67 , 1 02 ,

1 9 6 1 91
Paste for the Face 2 1 5
, , Raleigh Sir Walter , 4,

for the Hands 2 1 5 2 1 6 , , Ra m s Li ttl e D od oen

’

, 1 606 ,
of Flowers 1 90 , 210
Payne Dr 8 , R ampion 9 4 ,

P erfect S ch ool of I n s tr ucti on Ro lli t Sir Albert 1 3

, ,

f o r th e Ofi c Roma u nt of th e Ros e 7 ,

M onth , 1 682 , 53 Rose 9 5 ,

Perfume to burn 2 1 3 , , to candy 1 02 ,

to perfume any Co n fe c Conserve of 9 8 1 02 1 04 , , ,

tions 2 1 4 , Damask Rose Syrup 97 ,

King Edward s 2 1 2 ’

, Drops 1 04 ,

an excellent 2 1 6 , and Gilly fl o wer s to keep ,

Perfumed Powder 2 1 7 ,
long 9 8 ,

Periwinkle 2 , Honey of 97 ,

Persians 8 , Lozenges 1 0 2 ,

Plantain 9 1 , Ointment 98 ,

Remedy for Sore Feet 9 1 ,

Oyl e o f 9 8 ,
-

Te a 9 1 , Ros s o ly in the Italian way ,

Platt Sir Hugh , 34 3 8 ,

6 0 , , , 1 05

9 8 1 1 0 1 6 6
, 1 87 1 8 8 , , , ,
Sauce Eglantine 1 04 ,

1 8 9 1 9 3 , 1 9 4 . I 99
,
Sirop of Rose or Violets 96 ,

Curious S i ru p Reci pe 1 00
‘

Ph u y, 8 ,
 I NDEX 2 31

R ose ,
Sugar of 1 01 ,
Sa l lets All sorts 1 47
, ,

Vinegar of 97 ,
Broccoli in 1 5 0 ,

Wafers 1 03 , Cro wned or Grand 1 48 ,

Rose Gi les 5 3 6 5
, , , , 67 , 1 25, Divers Sal lets b o y led 1 4 6 ,

A grand Sallet of Divers

Rose Hips Conserve , of , 1 04 Co mpounds 1 47 ,

Marmalade, 1 05 for Fish Da ies 1 4 6 ,

to make tart of 1 02 ,
of Flo wers 1 4 6 ,

Rose Leaves how to dry , , 8

9 , other Grand 1 4 7 ,

Mustard 1 5 2 ,

how to candy as natural ,

Grand for Spring 1 49 1 5 0
, , ,

1 02 Vinegar 1 5 2 ,

Rosemary , 1 06 a brave Warming Salad

to candy 1 09 ,
for Winter 1 47 ,

Conserve of Flowers , ,
110 for Winter 1 5 0 ,

S ee Hungary Water , 1 10 Sampire 1 1 9 ,

Spirit of 1 1 1 ,
Pickle 1 1 9 1 2 0 , ,

Tea , 111 Saxon Herb Gardens 2 ,

Water 1 09 1 1 0 , ,
Scents S weet 2 06
, ,

Wine 1 1 1 ,
Scurry Grass 1 2 0 ,

Roses how to preserve whole

, , Sallet 1 2 0 ,

1 00 Tea , 1 20
Rosewater , to make cake Wine 1 2 0 ,

with 1 05 , Shackleford Anne , , 3 2

of natu r al colour 1 01 ,
Skirret 1 2 1 ,

Musk 1 02 , Fried 1 2 1 ,

Ro u n d ell Mrs Charles 7 5 , .

, ,
Fritters 1 2 2 ,

218 Milk 1 2 2 ,

Rousseau , 14 Pie 1 2 1 1 2 2
, ,

Ru e 1 1 1
, Smallage 1 2 3 ,

Preventive against Plagu e ,

Grue l 1 2 3 ,

1 12 Smith E 8 9 1 04
, .
, , , 1 1 4, 1 2 2 ,
Ruthven Lord , Pat r ick , 1 97 1 7 3 , 1 8 2 , 1 8 7 , 1 90, 1 9 1 ,

Saff ron 1 1 3 , Sore pl aces Water Imperial ,

Syrup of 1 1 4 ,
for 1 99 ,

Sage 1 1 5 , Sorrel 1 2 3
,

Conserve 1 1 8 , Eggs with the j ui ce of 1 2 4 ,

Cream 1 1 8 , Omelet 1 2 5 ,

Te a , 11 8 Ragout 1 2 5 ,

Water 1 1 8 , to rem o e stains on hands v

,

Wine 1 1 9 , 124
Salerno 8 , Tart , 1 25
Sall ets 1 40 , Southernwood , 126
‘

of all kinds of Herbs ,

Tea , 1 26
232 I NDEX

Speedwell , 1 26 Turnip Bread , 1 9 8

Te a , 1 26 Stalks 1 98 ,

St Anne s Hil l 1 3
.
’

, Milk 1 1 8 7,

Strawberry 1 2 7 ,

and Almond Tansy 1 2 8 , Vine Leaf Fritters 1 98 ,

Cordial Water 1 2 8 , Vinegar To make for Salads

, , ,

Face Wash 1 2 8 , 1 52
Leaf Tea 1 2 8 , Violet 1 3 4
,

Water 1 2 8 , Cakes 1 3 4 ,

and Woodruff Tea 1 2 8 , Conserve 1 3 5 ,

Succory 6 4 , Honey 1 3 5 ,

Eggs with 6 5 ,
Leaves 1 3 5 ,

Sweet Water 2 1 3 , Syrup 1 3 5 1 3 6. .

Syllabub to make 1 9 5 1 96
, , , Tablet 1 3 5 ,

Syrop to make of a ll kinds

, , ,
Te a ,
1 34
1 9 6 Vinegar 3 6 , 1
Vi r tu os e B oke of D i s ty ll aci on
Ta ffa ty Cream , 6 of th e Water s o all ma n
1 9 f
Tansy 1 2 9 er H er bes 1 5 2 7 , 2 1 2
, 9 9 , ,

how to make 1 2 9 ,

Amber Cakes 1 3 0 ,
Walnut Kernels 1 99 ,

Apple 1 3 0 , Washing Ball a de licate , , 211,

a good 1 3 0 , 2 13, 2 17
how to make in Lent , , 129 a pe r fumed 2 1 6 ,

Pancakes 1 3 0 , Water for the face 2 1 5

, ,

Plain 1 3 1 , Jessamine 2 1 1 ,

Pudding 1 2 9 , for mo u th 2 1 3 ,

Tea , 1 29 Oran ge Fl o wer 2 1 2 ,

Tarragon , 131 Sweet 2 1 3 ,

Vinegar 1 3 1 , Westminster Abbey 9 ,

Tart a Spring 1 97
, , , White Pot to make 1 99
-
, ,

of Green Sprouts and

’

Whol e B ody of Cooker y D i s

Herbs 1 97 ,
s ected , 1 67 5 , 67
A Sweet Sour 1 97 -
,
Woodruff , 1 36
Thistle 1 3 1 ,
Te a ,
1 36
Milk Thistle Stalks 1 3 2 , Wood Sorrel 1 3 7 ,

Thornton R 7 3 1 8 5 , , Gruel 1 3 7 ,

Thyme ; 1 3 2 Wormwood 1 3 7 ,

to enable one to see the Brandy 1 3 8 ,

Fairies 1 3 3 , Sugar of 1 3 8 ,

Tea , 1 33 Water 1 3 8 ,

Tr avel s r ou nd ou r
Vi ll age 5 6 , Wine 1 3 8 ,

Trowell Samuel 1 1 3
, ,

Tryon , T 1 5 9 7 1 4 7 .
, , ,

Tud or Herb Gardens , 1 0

 H A N DBO O K S TO A N CIE NT CIVI L I Z A TI O N S
S E R IE S (con ti n u ed )

M e xi c an A l C h EE O lo gy ‘
( S econ d I mpr es s i o n )
A n I n tr o d u ctio n to th e A r c h aeol o o f th e M exi c a n an d Ma a n gy y
C ivilizati on s o f P r e-S pan is h A m e r ic a T A J OY C E , M A . By . . . .

S o u t h A m e r i c a n A r c h aeo l o gy
A n I ntr o d uctio n to th e A r c h aeol o gy o f S o u th Am e r ica wi th
s pe c i al r e fe r e n c e to th e E ar ly H i sto r y o f P e r u By T A
,

. . .

J O YC E , M A
. .

M r J oyc e h a s c o n tr i ve d m ak e th e s e d r y bo n e s l i ve
to A n i llu m in a tin g
p
. . .

e xa m l e o f th e wa y i n wh i c h r e h i s to ry m a y be r ec o n s tr uc te d b y th e c o m
p
-

p l em e n ta r
y l a b o u r s o f h i s to r i a n a n d a r c h a
e o l ogi s t M or n i ng P os t .
— .

n e an A r c h aeo l o gy
A n I n tr o d ucti on to th e A r c h aeo l ogy o f P r e h i sto r ic G r ee c e By -

A s s is ta nt i n D epar tm e nt o f E gyptia n
.

H R H ALL M A F
a n d A s syr ia n A n ti q u i tie s Br itis h Mus eu m ; Auth or o f Th e
. .
, . .
,
“

An c ien t H i sto r y o f th e Ne ar E ast

,

M e s o po tam ia n A r ch aeo l o gy
A n I n tr o d u c ti o n to th e A r c h aeo l o gy o f Ba byl o n ia a n d A s s yr ia
By P E R CY S P H A N D COCK M A for merly As sistan t D epart
.

m e nt o f E gyptia n a n d A s s yr i a n A nti qu i tie s B ri tis h M us e u m

.
. .
, .
,

, ,

Le ctu r er o f th e P al e stin e E xpl or atio n Fun d .

F i ll s a wa n t i n th e l i te r a tu r e O ut of th e l ab ou r s of th e e xca v a tor s h e h as
pi — Th e
.

”
pu t b efo r e u s wi th n o l i ttle s u c c es s
'

a c t ur e o f th e c o n d i ti o n s o f life . Ti m es .

A n t iq u i t i e s o f I n d i a
A n Ac c o u n t o f th e H i sto ry a n d A n c ien t H in d u s tan Cu ltu r e of

By B
.

A R N E TT, M A , L I TT D , K e e pe r o f th e
"

LI ON EL D .

B
. . .
.

D e par tm en t o f Or ie ntal P r i nte d ook s an d Ma n u s c ri pts in th e

Br iti s h M us e u m .

P H I LI P LE E WA R NE R ,
P UBLI S HER To TH E M E D I CI S OC I E TY, LTD .

LON D O N : 7 G R A F TO N S TR E E T, W . 1 . 63 B ON D S TR E E T, LI VE R P OO L,

AN D 75 5 B O Y LS TO N S TR E E T, B OS TO N, U S A
. . .
 T HE R I C CA R D I P RE S S BOOKS

A P r osp ectu s of Th e Ri cca r d i P r es s B ooks , pr i n ted i n th e Ri cca r d i Ty pe,

tog eth er w i th a pr oces s r ed u cti on f r om o ne of th e i ll u s tr a ti on s to
Th eoer i tu s by W R u ss el l F l i n t, A R WI S , w i l l be s en t pos t fr ee to
’
. . .

en q u i r er s on 7 8 6 ? s of 6d .

T h e I d yl s o f T h eo c r it u s , Bi o n an d
M o s ch u s
g
R en d er ed in to E n lis h P r o s e, with an I ntr o d u ctor Es sa , b y y y
AN D R E W L A N G R epr i nte d b y pe r m i s s io n o f M e ss r s M ac m illan
g y
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C ,O L td W ith 2 0 p l ate s a fte r t h e w ate r -

c o l o u r d r awi n s b

g g
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g g
.

d e s i n ed b y th e sam e a rtis t, wi th lette ri n by E M E N G A LL . . .

Th e pl ate s m o u n te d o n tin te d gr o u n d I n two vol u m e s ( V o l I , .

B
.

Th e o c r itu s V ol I I , ion a n d Mo s c h u s S ol d on ly i n sets

g y
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E d i tio n l i m ite d to 5 00 c o pie s M ic h al e t r e boa r d s, c an va s

.

b ack an d pape r la b el ; l i m p vellu m , s i lk tie s A ls o 1 2 c o pie s .

p r i n te d o n ve l lu m ( 1 0 fo r sa le , b o u n d i n l im p K e l m s c ott vell u m ,
)
with a d u plicate set o f th e plate s , m o u nte d , i n c l oth portfolio .

T h e Fir s t B o o k o f M o s e s c all e d G e n e s i s
R epr i nte d after th e A uth o r i s e d V er s ion , b y pe r mi s sion With .

1 0 plate s afte r th e wate r -c o l o u r d r a wi n s b y F C A Y LE Y R O B I N S O N , g

g g g
.

a o
l s w ith an e ave
n r d t it e pa e d es i n ed b y th e
l -

sa m e ar ti s t, with l ette r in g y
b E M E NGALL Th e plate s .

g
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/

m o u n te d o n tin te d r o u n d
g y
.

E d itio n lim ited to 5 0 0 c o pie s M ic h alet re bo ar d s , ca n vas

.

back an d paper l abel ; li mp vellu m, s ilk ties Als o 1 2 c opies .

ri n te d o n ve llu m 1 0 fo r s al e , bo u n d i n l im e ott e
p ( ) p K l ms c v l l u m,

with a d u pl ic ate s e t o f th e pl ate s , m ou nted , i n c l oth portfolio .

E ver ym an : a M o r al ity P l ay
A r e pri nt o f th e te xt as e d ite d b y F R AN K S I DG WI C K ( by per
mi s s i o n O f Me s s r s S id gwi c k 8: J ac k s o n With 1 0 water
c ol o ur d r awing s by J H A M S CH E WI TZ
.
,

5 00 c o pie s M ic h al e t
gr ey b oard s li mp vel lu m silk ti es
. . . .

, .

P H I L I P LE E WARN ER ,
P UB L I S H E R To TH E M ED I CI S OC I E TY, LTD .

LO ND O N : 7 G RA F T ON S TR E E T, W . I . 63 B N O D S TR EET, L I V ER POO L,

AN D 75 5 B OYLS TON S TREET, B STO ON , US A. . .

 THE R I CCA R D I P RE S S BOOK S

Th e I n d ia n S t o r i e s o f F . W . B ai n
R epri nted b y ar r an e m ent wi th M e s s r s g . Meth u en 81 Co .
, Ltd .

E d itio n li mite d to 5 00 s ets Mi c h elet . g ey bo d g ey

r ar s, r c lo th
ba c k an d g old letter in ; wh o g
l e t
na u r a lg i-
p h m e t
ra n ar c n . 1 3
v ol u m e s al r e ad y pu b l i s h e d .

S u bs c r i pti on s for th i s E d i ti on wi l l be r ecei ved on ly for s ets , t e for. .

th e 1 3 volu me s me n ti on ed bel ow, a n d for th e add i ti on a l vol u me s to be i s s ued

a s the A u th or ma y he r ea fter con ti n u e the S er i es .

A D I G I T O F TH E
'

O ON M A M I NE OF FA U LTS
TH E D E S C E NT O F TH E S U N TH E A S H E S OF A G OD
A H E I FE R O F TH E DA WN B U BB
L E S O F TH E F OA M
I N TH E G R E A T G O D S H AI R
’
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A S R P O F TH E E ES B
A D RA U G H T O F TH E B L U E TH E L I V E R Y
O F EV E
A N E S S E NC E O F TH E D U S K TH E S UB
S TA NCE O F A
‘

A N I N CA R N A TI O N O F TH E D RE A M
S NO W

M ar i u s t h e E pi c u r e an : Hi s S e n s at i o n s
an d I d ea s
By W A LTE R P A TE R R e printe d b y per mis s io n o f Mes s r s
. .

M ac m illan 81 Co Ltd I n Two V ol um e s 1 0 0 0 c 0pi e s , o f

'

.
, . .

wh ic h 2 5 0 c opie s a r e r es er ved to th e U S A Mic h e let bo ar ds . . .

,

cl oth bac k an d g ol d lette r i n g wh ole pig sk i n gold lette r in g , .

T h e R o ad m e n d e r
By MI CHA E L FA I R LE S S . R epri n te d by a rr a ng emen t wi th
M es s r s D u c k worth 81 Co
. E d itio n l i mite d
to 1 00 0 n u mber ed
.

c opi e s fo r s al e pr i n te d i n th e R ic card i Fo unt o n h an d m ad e

,
-

a
p p ;e r s i ze 95 y 1
b 6 i n s M i c h al e t bo a5
r d s c l
. o th b a c k g o ld , ,

l etter in g ; wh ol e n atu r al g r ain par c h m e n t g ol d letter ing A ls o , .

1 5 c o pi e s o f wh ic h 1 2 o n ly ar e fo r sal e
, p r i n te d o n ve l l u m , ,

b o u n d i n li m p K e l m s c ott vellu m gold lette ri n g s ilk tie s , , .

S peci a l P r os pec tu s e s of a n y of th e a bove-men ti oned volu me s , w i th s pe c i men

p g ,
a e s m a y be h a d o n r e que s t, pos t fr ee .

P H I LI P LE E WA R N E R ,
P UB L I S H E R To TH E M E D I CI S OCI ETY , LTD .

LON D ON : 7 G RA FTO N S TR E E T, W . 1 . 63
‘

B O ND S TR E ET, L I V E R P OO L,

AND 75 5 B O Y L S TON S TR E ET, B OS TON, U S A . . .