THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 AGRICULTURE 
 BEQUEST 
 
 OF 
 ANITA D. S. BLAKE 
 
A GARDEN 
 OF HERBS 
 
A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 BY ELEANOUR SINCLAIR ROHDE 
 
 "If the honye that the bees gather out or so many 
 floures of herbes, shrubbes and trees . . . may justelye 
 be called the bees honye ... so may I call it that I 
 have learned and gathered of many good autoures (not 
 without great laboure and payne) my booke." 
 
 WILLIAM TURNER, Herball, 1562. 
 
 PHILIP LEE WARNER: PUBLISHER TO 
 THE MEDICI SOCIETY LTD., LONDON 
 BOSTON, MASS., 755 BOYLSTON ST. MDMXXI 
 
AGRICULTURE 
 Add'l 
 
 GIFT 
 
 Printed in Great Britain, 
 
' 
 
 AGRIC. 
 LIBRARY. 
 
 TO 
 
 M. S. 
 
 IN AFFECTIONATE GRATITUDE 
 
 730 
 
PREFACE 
 
 " Were it not for the sake of Custom, which has made it as 
 unfashionable for a Book to come abroad without an introduction 
 as for a Man to appear at Church without a Neckcloth or a Lady 
 without a Hoop -petticoat, I should not have troubled you with 
 this." E. SMITH, The Compleat Housewife, 1736. 
 
 NOWADAYS every one who writes a book, especially a 
 small book, offers 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 subject of herbs, but there is 
 no small practical handbook for those who are going to 
 create an old-fashioned herb garden, and who want to know 
 how to use these herbs as our great -grandmothers did. The 
 fashion for " blue," " grey," " white " or Japanese gardens 
 has died out ; the rock garden still fascinates, but, unless 
 made and maintained by skilful hands, it is apt to look 
 ridiculous, so let us hope that the herb garden is to be 
 restored to its former pride of place. Even those of us 
 with the smallest suburban plots can make a delightful 
 herb garden, and no matter how tiny it is a perpetual joy. 
 Herbs ask so little and they give so much. All that the 
 majority of our common herbs want is a fairly poor soil (the 
 poorer the better for the aromatic herbs) and plenty of sun- 
 light. People who know nothing of herbs imagine that it 
 might be a dull garden consisting of only foliage plants. 
 But there is no blue more beautiful than that of borage, 
 whilst valerian, mallows, marigold and the stately mullein 
 (to mention only a few examples) make lovely splashes of 
 colour. There need be no limit to the size of the garden, 
 for, as one eminent herbalist tells us, there are on an average 
 about seven hundred different remedies for most of the 
 
 vii 
 
viii PREFACE 
 
 common ailments, but it is undoubtedly the moderate-sized 
 garden which is the most attractive, 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 merely 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 included just 
 a few recipes, which are, alas, of no use, in our sadly unimagi- 
 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 will not fall under the eye of any severely 
 practical person, but as William Coles says of some of the 
 things in his Art of Simpling : "if there be any that are not 
 true yet they are pleasant." 
 
 NOTE. I should like to thank Miss Canziani and Miss 
 Alice Small for their kind help in copying the plans for me. 
 
 E. S. R. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER . PAGE 
 
 PREFACE vi 
 
 I. OF HERB GARDENS ...... i 
 
 II. KNOTS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE'S GARDEN . . 20 
 
 III. OF SUNDRY HERBS 29 
 
 IV. OF SALLETS 140 
 
 V. HERB POTTAGES . . . . , . .154 
 
 VI. HERB PUDDINGS. . . . . .160 
 
 VII. HERB DRINKS AND HOME-MADE WINES . . .165 
 
 VIII. ADDITIONAL RECEIPTS . . . . . .187 
 
 IX. OF THE PICKING AND DRYING OF HERBS . .200 
 
 X. OF SWEET SCENTS . . . . . .206 
 
 AUTHORITIES . . . . . . .220 
 
 INDEX 225 
 
 IX 
 
A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 OF HERB GARDENS 
 
 " The worship of Demeter belongs to that older religion, 
 nearer to the Earth, which some have thought they could 
 discern behind the more definitely national mythology of 
 Homer. She is the goddess of dark caves. . . . She knows 
 the magic power of certain plants cut from her bosom to 
 bane or bless . . . She is the goddess of the fertility of the 
 earth in its wildness." WALTER PATER. 
 
 " Talke of perfect happiness or pleasure and what place "^ 
 was so fit for that as the garden place where Adam was set I 
 to be the Herbarist." JOHN GERARD. 
 
 " All the wide world of vegetation blooms and buds for 
 you ; the thorn and the thistle which the earth casts forth 
 as evil are to you the kindliest servants ; no dying petal nor 
 drooping tendril is so feeble as to have no help for you." 
 JOHN RUSKIN. 
 
 " Then there are some flowers, they always seem to me 
 like over-dutiful children : tend them never so little and 
 they come up and flourish and show as I may say their 
 bright and happy faces to you." DOUGLAS JERROLD. 
 
 *' Death, thou'rt a cordial old and rare : 
 Look how compounded, with what care, 
 Time got his wrinkles reaping thee, 
 Sweet herbs from all antiquity." 
 
 LANIER. 
 
 " A GARDEN 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 of herb gardens ? for we use so few 
 herbs, and those we have relegated to an obscure corner of 
 the kitchen garden. It is a little difficult even to imagine 
 a time when " vegetables " occupied 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 
 
2 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 from the greatest authority l on the history of gardening 
 that even in Tudor days only very wealthy men had separate 
 gardens merely for pleasure, whilst all the small manors 
 and farm-houses throughout the country still retained the 
 old herb garden. For over seven centuries before that time, 
 all the gardens in England were herb gardens, and very 
 beautiful they must have been, for roses, lilies, gillyflowers, 
 lavender, rosemary, fennel, poppies, marigolds, honeysuckle, 
 periwinkles, peonies and violets were all used as herbs. 
 Our 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 all sorts of herbs, for stuffings and stewings, for decora- 
 tions, for perfume and for medicine. Indeed, " vegetables " 
 are quite newcomers in England. They declined in favour 
 throughout Europe with the fall of the Roman Empire, and 
 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 neighbours in our know- 
 ledge of them, and vegetables which figured in the old 
 Roman menus were considered luxuries in this country in 
 the days of the later Stuarts. Though potatoes were 
 introduced into England in Elizabeth's reign, they were not 
 grown to any extent, and the working people did not eat 
 them for another two hundred years. Gilbert White, 
 writing late in the eighteenth century, says of them : " They 
 have prevailed by means of premiums within these twenty 
 years only, and are much esteemed here now by the poor, 
 who would scarcely have ventured to taste them in the last 
 reign/' Of Jerusalem artichokes we knew nothing till we 
 learnt about them from the Red Indians; and they were 
 only introduced into England in Tudor days. It was about 
 the same time that French beans were first cultivated in 
 this country, but scarlet runners were unknown till Stuart 
 times. The wild carrot is an indigenous plant in the British 
 islands, but of the cultivated carrot we were ignorant till 
 
 1 The Honourable Mrs. Evelyn Cecil, History of G waning in, 
 England. 
 
OF HERB GARDENS 3 
 
 the Flemish immigrants in the early seventeenth century 
 introduced them. To them also we owe our present garden 
 spinach, which has had a long journey to reach us, for it is 
 said to have come from Asia through Spain. The wild 
 cabbage was used by our ancestors from Saxon days, and 
 one of the Saxon names for March was " sprout- kale 
 month " ; but otherwise the whole brassica tribe were 
 unknown to us till the late sixteenth and seventeenth 
 centuries. Sir Anthony Ashley, of Wimborne St. Giles, 
 Dorset, who died in 1627, has always had the reputation 
 of being the first to introduce the modern cabbage into 
 England, and on his tomb there is a cabbage portrayed at 
 his feet. His monument was seriously damaged by a fire 
 a few years ago, but fortunately the cabbage was saved ! 
 Mrs. Earle, in her Pot-pourri from a Surrey Garden, pointed 
 out that even as late as 1824 there were no roses and no 
 strawberries in our sense of the word. Samuel Hartlib, 
 writing in 1659, says : " About fifty years ago this art of 
 gardening began to creep into England, into Sandwich and 
 Surrey, Fulham and other places. Some old men in Surrey 
 where it flourisheth very much at present, report that they 
 knew the first gardeners that came into those parts to plant 
 cabbages, colleflowers and to sow turneps and carrots and 
 parsnips, and raith-rape peas, all which at that time were 
 great rarities, we having few or none in England but what 
 came from Holland and Flanders. These gardeners with 
 much ado procured a plot of good ground and gave no lesse 
 than eight pounds per acre; yet the gentleman was not 
 content, fearing they would spoil his ground because they 
 did use to dig it. So ignorant were they of gardening in 
 those days." 
 
 The kitchen garden, therefore, as we know it, is quite 
 modern, and during the many centuries when " vegetables " 
 were almost unknown, our ancestors relied on the health- 
 giving properties of herbs. Even as late as the middle of 
 the last century the herb garden retained an honoured place, 
 and the old-fashioned herbs were still cherished for their 
 rare virtues. Like the wise man, described by Solomon, 
 
4 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 our forefathers did not despise the God-given virtues of 
 these humble plants. Much of the old lore has been lost, 
 and patent medicines have been allowed to usurp the place 
 of the herbal 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. The mere scent of them is a tonic, and even in winter 
 their leaves give one a delicious reminder of sunshine and 
 joyous vitality. Why waste their virtues, which since 
 Chaldaean days have been extolled by the wisest men of all 
 ages? We have come to look upon health as the mere 
 absence of disease 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 health. Just because it is 
 the custom, we make use of all the showier " herbs," which 
 now fill our kitchen gardens, not only because they are 
 pleasant, but also because of their health-giving properties ; 
 but why neglect the older 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 ? The 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 fairy-like a concoction to be called " jam.") 
 Why do we never make strawberry wine, which was Sir 
 Walter Raleigh'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 gilly- 
 flowers, rosemary and many other herbs? Why do we 
 never serve syrups made from flower-petals (roses, violets, 
 cowslips, etc.) with sweet dishes? Recipes for these and 
 many others will be found in the following pages. 
 
 With the substitution of foreign spices for our own English 
 herbs in flavouring the old herbalists have little patience. 
 " As for fiery spices," said Sir John Hill, " God designed 
 
OF HERB GARDENS 5 
 
 those for the countries 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 supposed superfluous, there is no 
 occasion it should make the other neglected." 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 herbalists had nothing but censure. " Whether men 
 should attempt the forcing of Nature," wrote one, " may best 
 be judged by observing how seldom God Almighty does 
 it Himself." " The 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 hundred of the others. Why should 
 he who has not yet informed himself thoroughly of the Nature 
 of the meanest Herb which grows in the next Ditch ransac 
 the earth for foreign wonders ? Does he not fall under 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 answer 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 GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 a quiet enclosure full of sunlight, and delicious scents, and 
 plants whose peace is never disturbed; and where the 
 humblest of newcomers can always find its own niche, and 
 a welcome from the older inhabitants. If ever we revive 
 the beautiful old English herb garden, it is to be hoped that 
 it will be the garden of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries 
 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 hedge, and 
 all round was a bank of earth planted with sweet-smelling 
 herbs. At intervals recesses were cut to serve as seats, and 
 they were covered with turf, " thick 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. How thick the hedges 
 were may be gathered from the old poem, " The Flower 
 and the Leaf." 
 
 " The hegge as thicke as a castle wall, 
 That who that list without to stond or go 
 Though he would all day prien to and fro, 
 He should not see if there were any wight within or no." 
 
 Sometimes there was a pergola or covered way round 
 three sides of the wall, but more commonly only on one side. 
 Illustrations of these covered ways may be seen in the old 
 missals. The covered-in alley of the Dutch garden in 
 Kensington gardens is just like an illustration from The 
 second booke of Flowers, Fruits, Beastes, Birds and Flies 
 (1650), and would be a very good model for any one wishing 
 to mal"3 one of the old covered ways. There was usually 
 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 seats inside the low-growing 
 camomile, or just turf. Dethicke suggested that herbers 
 
OF HERB GARDENS 7 
 
 should be covered with plants " of a fragrant savoure," such 
 as rosemary, and that they should be so constructed " that 
 the Owner's friends sitting in the same may the freelier 
 see and beholde the beautie of the garden to theyr great 
 delyght." 
 
 What they grew in the fifteenth-century herb gardens 
 can easily be ascertained. The earliest original English 
 treatise on gardening extant is a manuscript now in the 
 Library of Trinity College, Cambridge. It is called The 
 Feate of Gardening, and was written by Mayster Jon Gardener 
 in 1440. Miss Amherst gives a complete list of the herbs 
 which Mayster Jon Gardener directs to be grown. They 
 include strawberries (wild strawberries, of course), hyssop, 
 woodruff, betony, borage, henbane, lavender, southernwood, 
 tansy, thyme, violets, waterliles, hollyhocks, yarrow, mint, 
 rue, roses, saffron, camomile, foxgloves, centaury, 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 Museum a fifteenth-century manuscript (Sloane 
 MS. 1201) which is a book of cookery receipts, and this 
 gives a complete list of herbs used in cooking, and in addition 
 to those mentioned in Mayster Jon Gardener's enumeration; 
 this list includes Alexanders, mugwort, basil, bugloss, burnet, 
 chervil, caraway, chives, daises, dittany, dandelion, dill, 
 elecampane, eyebright, agrimony, fennel, marigold, gilly- 
 flowers, germander, borage, mercury, mallow, mint, mar- 
 joram, nettles, orage, parsley, primroses, rocket, savory, 
 smallage, sorrel, sow-thistle, vervain, rosemary and roses. 
 These two lists give a very fair idea of the herbs grown in 
 an ordinary fourteenth or fifteenth-century garden, and tne 
 vision of the sweet, homely flowers with their delicious scents 
 rises before one, when one reads Chaucer's description in 
 the Romaunt of the Rose. 
 
 " Ful gay wis al the ground, and queynt 
 And poudred as men had it peynt, 
 With many a fresh and sundry flour 
 That casten up a ful good savour." 
 
8 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 Of the earlier herb gardens we have, alas, very little 
 definite knowledge. We know from Pliny that the Druids 
 used large numbers of medicinal herbs, and we gather from 
 his account that the knowledge of herbal medicine was 
 confined to the priesthood. He tells us, moreover, that 
 they gathered herbs with such striking ceremonies 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. The oldest herbal in England is 
 an MS. in the British Museum which was written under the 
 direction of one, Bald, who, if he was not a personal friend 
 of King Alfred's, had at any rate access to the king's corre- 
 spondence, for he gives certain prescriptions sent by Helias, 
 Patriarch of Jerusalem, to the king. In a lecture delivered 
 before the Royal College of Physicians in 1903, 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 European country was there at 
 that time any scientific literature written in the vernacular. 
 The Saxons had a much wider knowledge of herbs than the 
 doctors of Salerno, the oldest school of medicine in Europe 
 and also the oldest European university. No treatise of 
 the school of Salerno contemporaneous with the Leach book 
 of Bald is known, so that the Anglo-Saxons had the credit 
 of priority. . . . The 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 Europe." This old manuscript to which 
 
OF HERB GARDENS 9 
 
 Doctor Payne referred is supposed to have been written 
 under the direction of some one called Bald, who is described 
 in the manuscript 1 as the owner of the book, the name of 
 the actual scribe being Cild. It is evident that Bald was a 
 leech, and he was probably a monk, for at that time very 
 few books were written except in monasteries. Bald had a 
 remarkably wide knowledge of native plants and garden 
 herbs, but though he gives exact prescriptions for the giving 
 of these herbs in drinks, with ale, vinegar or milk and honey, 
 and how to make them into ointments with butter, it is 
 quite impossible to ascertain exactly what cultivated and 
 wild herbs were included in the herb gardens of those days. 
 We only know that they called their herb gardens wyrtzerd, 
 or wyrttun, and that they certainly grew sunflowers, peonies, 
 gillyflowers, marigolds, violets and periwinkles, to which 
 last they gave the delightful name " Joy of the Ground." 
 
 In Norman days the principal herb gardens were those 
 attached to the monasteries, and it is interesting to remember 
 that the present little cloister of Westminster Abbey and 
 the College garden once formed part of the old Infirmary 
 garden, where the herbs for the healing of the sick and for 
 Church decorations were grown. But if the monks main- 
 tained the knowledge of herbs in one way, it must also be 
 remembered that, on the other hand, they were largely 
 responsible for the loss of what remained of the Druidical 
 knowledge of plants, which was discountenanced by the 
 Church, because much of it had become associated with witch- 
 craft. The seventh book of Alexander Neckham's poem, 
 " De laudibus divinae Sapientiae " (circa 1200) is on herbs, 
 and in his De Naturis Rerum he gives a description of what 
 a " noble garden " should be. His list of herbs includes 
 
 1 At the end of the second part of the MS. is written in Latin 
 verse : 
 
 " Bald is the owner of this book which he ordered Cild to write, 
 Ernestly I pray here all men, in the name of Christ 
 That no treacherous person take this book from me, 
 Neither by force nor by theft nor by any false statement. 
 Why ? Because the richest treasure is not so dear to me 
 As my dear books which the grace of Christ attends." 
 
io A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 roses, lilies, violets, mandrakes, parsley, fennel, southern- 
 wood, coriander, sage, savory, hyssop, mint, rue, dittany, 
 smallage, 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 new vegetables were intro- 
 duced, the modern kitchen garden was gradually established, 
 and the herb garden decreased in size ; but in importance 
 not for another two centuries at least. It became the 
 special province of the housewife, and in it she grew all 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. 
 The 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 days : the most notable being Hill's Art of 
 Gardening, William Lawson's The Country Housewife's 
 Garden, and Gervase Markham's various works. Gervase 
 Markham gives a delightful description of the ideal gardener 
 who should be " religious, honest and skilful." " Religious/' 
 he proceeds to explain (" because many thinke religion but 
 a fashion or custome to goe to Church "), to be one " who 
 cherishes above all God's word and the Preachers 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 gillyflowers (why have we given up this delightful name 
 for carnations?) in his list of herbs he gives one of those 
 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 severall colours 
 and divers of them as bigge as Roses. Of all flowers (save 
 the Damaske Rose) they are the most pleasant to smell. 
 There use is much in ornament and comforting the spirits 
 by the sense of smelling." Biographies full of facts and 
 
OF HERB GARDENS n 
 
 dates sometimes leave one cold, but those few words bridge 
 the centuries in a flash, and one sees the old gardener in the 
 glory of the July sunshine working happily amongst his 
 gillyflowers. It is Lawson 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 nom de plume of " Didymus 
 Mountain " for one of his books !) is in some ways the 
 quaintest of these three writers ; but one cannot help feeling 
 that 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 book gardening and 
 practical gardening there was a great gulf fixed ! 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 should, of course, be an elder tree in 
 every herb garden ; for have not herbs since 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 thefe and beaste, nor would it 
 be in danger of the wanton wayfairing man's firebrand 
 passinge by, although he should put fire to it." Time 
 apparently was of no object, for he suggests that the briars 
 should be grown from seed. Like the majority of gardeners 
 and herbalists in those days, Hill believed firmly that the 
 sowing of seeds should 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 so many, of the smallage the 
 lyke, of the Basil, the Leek and the Parsley. Put altogether 
 into a hole and there will spring up a plant having so many 
 savours or tastes." He cautions one to pay respect to the 
 stars, " whose Beames of lighte and influence boothe quicken, 
 comforte, preserve and mayntayne or ells nippe, drye, 
 wyther, consume and destroye by sundrye ways the tender 
 seedes," After a lengthy and confusing astrological dis- 
 course, he adds apologetically that perchance " the most 
 
12 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 part of the common sort of his readers will think these things 
 above their capacity, but his conscience bounde him some- 
 what to put such matter into their heades." 
 
 When one reads the curious instructions in these old books 
 one cannot help wondering whether any anxious learner 
 took them seriously. Did they ever sprinkle seeds with 
 wine to strengthen them, and drag speckled toads about 
 the garden to safeguard the young herbs ? Did they hang 
 hyena and crocodile skins in the alleys to protect them from 
 lightning, and hippopotamus' skins or owls' wings outspread 
 against tempests? Were eagles' feathers planted in the 
 four corners and in the middle to ward off 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 neighbour'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 dilegent hede," Hill thoughtfully adds, " that 
 none of this water fall neither on your face, nor hands.") 
 Did they put a solitary mole into a pot so that when " he 
 crieth out the others minding to help him forth will also 
 fall into the pot " ? Were mice frightened away by the beds 
 being sprinkled with water in which the cat had been washed, 
 or by a mixture of wild cucumber, henbane and bitter 
 almonds? "No adder," 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 lanterns to make 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 HERB GARDENS 13 
 
 of the geometrical flower-beds of Victorian days ! The 
 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. The 
 idea of a wild garden where the sweet-smelling herbs might 
 be trodden on survived into the eighteenth century. In 
 the English Housewife of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth 
 Centuries, 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-on-Thames, originally the home 
 of Charles James Fox, and now the property of Sir Albert 
 K. Rollit, and the herb garden is left very much as it was in 
 Charles James Fox's days. " The herbs are in no particular 
 order and are not raised above the level of the turf walks 
 and offer themselves to be trodden on. There are rosemary, 
 borage, thyme, sage, fennel, mint, parsley, rue, lavender, 
 chives, southernwood, tarragon, savory, hyssop, chervil 
 and marjoram growing in charming confusion enclosed by 
 the thick old-world beech and yew hedges which are probably 
 older than the Georgian house . ' ' One well-known eighteenth- 
 century herb garden must have been unique 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 doctor advocated that there should be public 
 herb gardens in various parts of England planted with every 
 herb useful in medicine, in the arts or Husbandry, that they 
 should be open always free of expense to all people, and 
 that there should be " some person present to show what 
 was deserved to be seen and explain what 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 Virtues of British Herbs 
 there is a note : "If any one entertain a doubt concerning 
 the plant he would use after comparing it with the figure 
 and description, the gardener at Bayswater shall give a 
 sample of it for asking, and all persons can command the 
 
I 4 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 farther opinion and directions of the author when they 
 please." Sir John Hill's works on herbs are so learned that 
 it is refreshing in the middle of one of them to light on this 
 remark : " I was introduced in Yorkshire to one Brewer, who 
 has contrived a Dress on Purpose for Herbalising, and had 
 a mask for his face 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 old-world model or made 
 just according to the fancy of the owner, a herb garden 
 should be essentially a garden enclosed; a sanctuary of a 
 sweet and placid pleasure ; a garden of peace and of sweet 
 scents, filled with all the humble, lovable old plants one so 
 rarely sees, and which never look really happy in company 
 with showy modern plants. A modern herb garden might 
 be made surrounded by banks (such as one sees round 
 Devonshire cottage gardens), and these could be smothered 
 with herbs violets, cowslips, borage, wild strawberries, 
 germander, betony, yarrow, centaury, wild thyme, and so 
 on. If there was room on one bank even nettles, dandelions, 
 lesser celandine, daisies, etc., might be allowed to grow, not 
 with the abashed furtive air they assume in the presence of 
 that terribly grand and merciless person the gardener, but 
 spreading themselves cheerfully and comfortably in the sun, 
 happy in the knowledge that even if the aforesaid gardener 
 rejects them, their owner realises they have virtues not to 
 be found amongst the inhabitants of the largest and tidiest 
 kitchen garden. And how beautiful the garden itself could 
 be with every variety of lavender, rosemary, bergamot, 
 hyssop, thyme, fennel, rue, marjoram, lad'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 : " The ' grand air ' is always melancholy hi a 
 garden, it makes one think of the miseries of the man who 
 affects it. ... The two sides of the alleys will not be always 
 exactly parallel, its direction will not be always in a straight 
 
OF HERB GARDENS 15 
 
 line, it will have a certain vagueness like the gait of a 
 leisurely man the owner will not be anxious to open up 
 fine prospects in the distance. The 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. Bardswell 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 sun-dial surrounded by herbs, and 
 
 " How could such sweet and wholesome hours 
 Be reckoned but with herbs and flowers ?" 
 
 There is much to be learned from the old herbalists 
 besides a knowledge of herbs and herb gardens. Could any 
 one give better advice than old Tryon ? " Let not Carking 
 Cares nor Perturbations afflict your Minds about such things 
 as are out of your power to help or remedy, nor abandon 
 yourselves too much to any Passion, be it Love, Hate, 
 Revenge or the like; avoid envy, strife, violence and 
 oppression either to man or Beast; Stillness and Com- 
 placency of Mind are two main props to support our Adamical 
 Building; a Chearful heart causeth the countenance to 
 shine, a good conscience is a continual Feast and Content 
 is Nectar to the Spirits, and Marrow to the Bones. There- 
 fore study to be satisfied with your Portion and thank and 
 bless God for his Bounties which you enjoy, 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 truly contained the Properties of all Elements ; therefore 
 thou art obliged to imitate 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 Superior and Inferior worlds, and on the other side 
 
16 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 not to awaken the Dragon that is always lurking about the 
 Golden Fruit in the fair Garden of the internal Hesperides, 
 nor irritate the original poisons, nor raise combustions within 
 by falling into Disorders without ; but managing all things 
 in Temperance and Simplicity, and hearkening to the Voice 
 of Wisdom and the Dictates of Reason and Nature, thou 
 shalt transact the days of thy pilgrimage here in Peace and 
 Tranquility and be prepared for the fruition of more corn- 
 pleat and undisturbed as well as endless Felicity." 
 
 Perhaps when we revive 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 one 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, and 
 that was the spirit of the great Linnaeus, who, after seeing 
 a flower open said, " I saw God in His Glory passing near 
 me and bowed my head in worship." " If every herb," 
 says William Coles, " show 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 might 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 because they are His good gifts and created to do 
 man help and service." The preface to Parkinson's Paradisi 
 is so beautiful that I cannot forbear quoting some of it at 
 length. " Although the ancient Heathens did appropriate 
 the first invention of the knowledge of Herbs and so con- 
 sequently of physicke, some unto Chiron the Centaure, and 
 others to Apollo or ^sculapius his sonne; yet we that are 
 Christians have out of a better schoole learned that God the 
 Creator of Heaven and Earth, at the beginning when he 
 created Adam, inspired him with the knowledge of all 
 naturall thinges : for as he was able to give names to all the 
 living Creatures, according to their severall natures ; so no 
 doubt but hee had also the knowledge, both what Herbes 
 and Fruits were fit, eyther for Meate or Medicine, for Use 
 or for Delight, and that Adam might exercise this know- 
 
OF HERB GARDENS 17 
 
 ledge, God planted a garden for him to live in (wherein even 
 in his innocency he was to labour and spend his time) which 
 hee stored with the best and choysest Herbes and Fruits 
 the earth could produce, that he might have not only for 
 necessitie whereon to feede, but for pleasure also ; the place 
 or garden called Paradise importing as much, or more plainly 
 the words set downe in Genesis the second, which are these : 
 ' Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow everie tree 
 pleasant to the sight and good for meate ; ' . . . But my 
 purpose is onely to show you, that Paradise was a place 
 (whether you will call it a Garden or Orchard or both, no 
 doubt of some large extent) wherein Adam was first placed 
 to abide ; that God was the Planter thereof, having furnished 
 it with Trees and Herbes, as well pleasant to the sight, as 
 good for meate, and that hee being to dresse and keepe this 
 place, must of necessity know all the things that grew 
 therein, and to what uses they serve or else his labour about 
 them, and knowledge in them had been in vain. And 
 although Adam lost the place for his transgression, yet he 
 lost not the naturall knowledge or use of them, but that as 
 God made the whole world, and all the Creatures therein 
 for Man, so hee may use all things as well as pleasures as 
 of necessitie, to bee helpes unto him to serve his God. Let 
 men therefore, according to their first institution so use their 
 service, that they also in them may remember their service 
 to God, and not (like our Grandmother Eve) set their affec- 
 tions so strongly on the pleasure in them, as to deserve the 
 losse of them in this Paradise, yea and of Heaven also. For 
 truly from all sorts of Herbes and Flowers we may draw 
 matter at all times not only to magnify the Creator, that hath 
 given them such diversities of formes, scents and colours, 
 that the most cunning Workman cannot imitate, and such 
 vertues and properties, that although wee know many, yet 
 manye more lye hidden and unknowne, but many good 
 instructions also to ourselves : That as many herbes and 
 flowers with their fragrant sweet smels doe comfort and as 
 it were revive the Spirits and perfume a whole house ; even 
 so such men as live vertuously, labouring to doe good, and 
 c 
 
i8 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 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 beautie or savour to commend 
 them, have much more good and vertue : So many men of 
 excellent rare parts and good qualities doe lye unknown and 
 not respected, untill time and use of them doe set forth 
 their properties. Againe 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. The fraility also of man's life is 
 learned by the soone fading of them before their flowering, 
 or in their pride or soon after, being either cropt by the 
 hand of the spectator, or by a sudden blast withered and 
 parched, or by the revolution of time decaying of its owne 
 nature : as also that the fairest flowers or fruits first ripe, 
 are soonest and first gathered. The mutability also of 
 States or persons, by this, that as where many goodly 
 flowers and fruits did growe in this yeare and age, in another 
 they are quite pulled or digged up, and eyther weedes and 
 grasse grow in their place, or some building erected thereon, 
 and there place is no more known. The Civill respects to 
 be learned from them are many also ; for the delight of the 
 varieties both of formes, colours and properties of Herbes 
 and Flowers, hath ever been powerfull over dull, unnatured, 
 rusticke and savage people, led only by Natures instinct; 
 how much more powerfull is it, or should be in the mindes 
 of generous persons? for it may well bee said, he is not 
 human that is not allured with this object." 
 
 And finally to quote Gerard : " They (herbs) were such 
 delights as man in the perfect state of his innocence did 
 erst enjoy, and treasures I may well terme them, seeing 
 both Kings and Princes have esteemed them as jewels; sith 
 wise men have made their whole life as a pilgrimage to 
 attaine to the knowledge of them. The hidden vertue of 
 
OF HERB GARDENS 19 
 
 them is such that (as Plinie noteth) 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 
 imbroidered worke set with orient pearles and garnished 
 with great diversitie of rare and costly jewels? But these 
 delights are in the outward senses the principal delight is 
 in the minde singularly enriched with the Knowledge of 
 these visible things, setting forth to us the invisible wisdome 
 and admirable workmanship of almightie God." 
 
CHAPTER II 
 KNOTS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE'S GARDEN 
 
 " The number of formes, mazes and knots is so great and 
 men are so diversely delighted, that I leave every Housewife 
 to herselfe, especially seeing to set downe many had been 
 but to fill much paper. Yet lest I deprive her of all delight 
 and direction, let her view these few choise new formes, and 
 note this generally, that all plots are square, and all are 
 bordered about with roses, thorne, rosemary, bee-flowers, 
 issop, sage or such-like." William Lawson, The Country 
 Housewife's Garden t 1618. 
 
 20 
 
KNOTS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE'S GARDEN 21 
 
 A PLAINE 
 SQUARE 
 
 " Rampande lyons stode by wonder fly, Made all of herbes with dulset 
 sweteness, With many dragons of marveylous likeness." " Historic of 
 Graunde Amour and la bell Pucell called the Pastime of Pleasure" by 
 Stephen Hawes, 1554. 
 
 A CURIOUS 
 KNOT 
 
22 
 
 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 THE FLOWER OF DELUGE. 
 
 OVALL 
 
 " Reeve I have in the paper the Ovalls so round put, And in the ground 
 the same I can cut." 
 
KNOTS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE'S GARDEN 23 
 
 " This is a good patern for a wilderness. As well as for a Quarter of 
 erbes."From "The Compleat Gardener' s Practice," by Stephen Blake, 1664. 
 
2 4 
 
 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 THE MAZE 
 
 " Here by the way (gentle Reader) I doo place two propper mazes . . . 
 the gardener shall much beautifye them in devisinge fower sundry fruites to 
 be placed in each of the corners of the maze, and in the middle of it a proper 
 herber decked wyth Roses, or elles some fayre tree of Rosemary e." 
 
 OVALL 
 
KNOTS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE'S GARDEN 25 
 
 A MAZE 
 
 " And here I also place the other maze whiche may be lyke ordered &> used 
 as I spake before and it may eyther be set with Isope dv Tyme or with Winter 
 Savery & Tyme. For these do well endure all the winter through grene. And 
 there be some which set their mazes with Lavender Cotton, Spike, Marjerome 
 & such lyke. But let them be ordered in this poynte as lyketh best the 
 Gardiner." 
 
 THE 
 
 DIAMOND 
 
 KNOT 
 
26 
 
 CROSSE- 
 BOWE 
 
 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 A CURIOUS 
 FINE KNOT 
 
 
KNOTS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE'S GARDEN 27 
 
 A NEW KNOT 
 
 X 
 
 A NEW KNOT 
 FOR A PER- 
 FECT GARDEN 
 
 r 
 
 may 
 
 " A proper knot for a garden whereas is spare roume enough, the which 
 iy bee set eyther with Time or Isope at the discretion of the Gardiner. 
 
28 
 
 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 FLOWER 
 DELUGE 
 
 THE 
 TREFOYLE 
 
 , 4^, - 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 OF SUNDRY HERBS 
 
 " Lerne the hygh and marvelous vertue of herbes. Know 
 how inestimable a preservative to the helth of man God hath 
 provyded growying every daye at our handes, use the effects 
 with" reverence and give thanks to the maker celestyall. 
 Behold how much it excedeth to use medecyne of eficacye 
 naturall, by God ordeyned, than wicked wordes or charmes 
 of eficacye unnaturall by the divyll invented." The 
 virtuose boke of Distyllacion of the Waters of all maner Herbes 
 ... by Master Jherom Brunswyke, 1527. 
 
 " Who would looke dangerously up at Planets that might 
 safely loke downe at Plants ? " John Gerard, The Herball, 
 1597- 
 
 " There is no question but that very wonderful effects 
 may be wrought by the Vertues which are enveloped within 
 the compasse of the Green Mantles wherewith Many Plants 
 are adorned." W. Coles/ The Art of Simpling, 1656. 
 
 AGRIMONY 
 
 IN many herbals Agrimony is spelt Argemoney, and the 
 name is derived from the Greek " argemos" a white speck 
 on the eye which this plant was supposed to cure. English 
 country folk used to call it " church-steeples/' and the 
 plant with its exquisitely delicate spike of yellow flowers 
 is certainly suggestive of a steeple From the days of our 
 Saxon ancestors Agrimony has enjoyed a high repute. 
 
 As it is a very common perennial in waste places, any 
 one wishing to include it in their herb garden can obtain 
 the roots in spring or autumn. 
 
 AGRIMONY TEA. One pint of boiling water poured on to 
 a handful of the plant -stems, flowers and leaves. Leave 
 
 29 
 
30 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 till cold and then strain. In France this is drunk as an 
 ordinary beverage when Agrimony is in flower, and the 
 peasants have a great belief in its health-giving properties. 
 
 ANGELICA 
 
 " The whole plante, both leafe, roote, and seede, is of an 
 excellent comfortable sent, savour and taste." John 
 Parkinson, Theatre of Plants, 1640. 
 
 There is an old legend that the wonderful virtues of 
 Angelica were revealed by an angel to a monk during a 
 terrible plague, and hence its name. From earliest times 
 Angelica has enjoyed a great reputation for its powers 
 against witchcraft, and it is the only herb for which Gerard 
 claims this quality. 
 
 The leaves steeped in hot water were largely used to allay 
 any sort of inflammation, and it was one of the ingredients 
 in the famous old French Eau d'Arquebusade. To " bite 
 and chaw " a root of Angelica was much recommended 
 during the Great Plague of 1660. In Stewart days the best 
 dried roots were imported from Spain, but Sir John Hill 
 tells us that those from Bohemia were superior to any other, 
 and that English Angelica was second only to the Bohemian. 
 Amongst the Laplanders Angelica was held in high repute, 
 and they used to crown their poets 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 beginning of spring, and collect the musk-flavoured 
 resinous gum which came out. 
 
 Angelica likes moisture, but it is almost as adaptable as 
 forget-me-not in accommodating itself to any fairly good soil. 
 Abercrombie speaks of it as an annual-perennial, i. e> it is 
 best to take it up and replant yearly. The seed is slow and 
 capricious in germinating. It is best to sow the seed in 
 August as soon as it is ripe. Sow thinly, and when six 
 inches high, thin them to at least three feet apart. They 
 flower in June of the second year and must then be cut 
 down, as if allowed to run to seed they soon perish. 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 31 
 
 To CANDY ANGELICA. Boil the stalks of Angelica in 
 water till they are tender ; then peel them and put them 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 little 
 Rose-water and boil it to a Candy height. Then put in your 
 Angelica and boil them up quick ; then take them out and 
 dry them for use. From The Receipt Book of John Nott, 
 Cook to the Duke of Bolton, 1723. 
 
 To PRESERVE ANGELICA ROOTS. Wash them, slice them 
 thin, put them to steep in fair Water, and shift the Water 
 every day, for three Days. Then set them all night in a 
 Pot over warm Embers, pour off the water in the Morning, 
 and take two Pounds of Sugar and two Quarts of Water to 
 a Pound of Roots, and boil them in it ; when they are boil'd 
 enough take them out and boil the Syrup gently. Ibid. 
 
 ANGELICA WATER. Take of the Leaves of Angelica four 
 Pounds, Annise-seeds three Ounces, Coriander and Carraway 
 seeds of each four Ounces ; cut the Leaves small and bruise 
 the seeds carefully together in a Mortar, put them into the 
 Still with six Gallons of White Wine, and let them stand all 
 Night, the next Morning put in a Handful of fresh Clove 
 Gillyflowers, the same Quantity of Sage-flowers, and the 
 same Quantity of the Tops and Leaves of Sweet Majoram; 
 when all are in, stir them well up with a Stick, and then put 
 on the Head of the Still, close it with a paper wetted with 
 Flour and Water Paste, and then distill off the Liquor ; the 
 quantity to be drawn off is three Gallons ; it is excellent. 
 From The Receipt Book of Elizabeth Cleland, 1759. 
 
 To CANDY ANGELICA LEAVES. Take the Leaves before 
 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 one upon 
 another, till the plate be pretty full ; then pour upon them 
 sugar boiled to a pretty thick syrup, and let them stand 
 
32 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 two or three days, heating them now and then on some 
 coals; lay them upon glasses, sift sugar on first, lay the 
 leaves on one by one, and dry them in the sun ; when they 
 are dry, lay them in boxes, with paper between each layer 
 of leaves. From The Receipt Book of Mrs, Anne Shackleford 
 of Winchester, 1767. 
 
 ANISEED 
 
 Although a native of Egypt, anise does 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 one 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 our modern bridal cake is supposed to trace its 
 ancestry. Even in the early nineteenth century anise was 
 commonly used for flavouring soups and sometimes bread, 
 but it is rather too aromatic for the modern taste. 
 
 ANISE is a half-hardy annual. Sow during April in pots 
 plunged in a hot-bed, and remove to a warm, light border 
 in May. 
 
 ANISEED TEA. Half a pint of boiling water on two 
 teaspoonfuls of the bruised seed. 
 
 ARTICHOKE (GLOBE) 
 
 The Globe Artichoke is such a modern-looking plant 
 yet it is in reality one of the oldest inhabitants of the herb 
 garden. Its name is derived from the Arabic "Alkharshuf," 
 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 Dethicke 
 tells us that " it grew wild in the fields, and came by diligence 
 to be carefully 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 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 33 
 
 taste of them, they very often resort in great number from 
 far places to the marvellous spoil of the roots/' Moles also, 
 it seems, are deadly enemies, and to keep them away you 
 must either " bring uppe and learne a young Catte, or tame 
 a weesell to hunt daily in those places. " According to the 
 Neapolitan Rutilius, if the seeds are sown the wrong way 
 down the artichokes will grow crooked, weak and very 
 small. If you desire to grow the heads without prickles 
 you are instructed either to break the sharp ends of the 
 seeds or else to put each seed in a lettuce root with the rind 
 pared off before planting it. To ensure a pleasant flavour 
 the seeds must be soaked in rose or lily water, or the juice 
 of bay leaves mixed with sweet almonds, or new milk and 
 honey, or aromatised wine, and in whatever pleasant liquor 
 the seeds have been steeped the artichokes when ripe will 
 have the flavour of it. Formerly, even the leaves were 
 considered a delicacy, and they were carefully blanched in 
 the late summer. Our English artichokes were so highly 
 esteemed in Tudor days that the plants were exported to 
 Italy, France, and the Low Countries. 
 
 PRESERVING OF ARTICHOKES. Cut off the Stalkes of 
 your Artichokes within two inches of the Apple ; and of all 
 the rest of the Stalkes make a strong decoction, slicing them 
 into thinne and small peeces, and keepe them in this decoc- 
 tion : You must lay them first in warme water, and then 
 in colde, to take away the bitternesse of them. This of 
 Mr. Parsons, that honest and painefull Practicer in his 
 profession. 
 
 In a mild and warme winter, about a month or three 
 weeks before Christmas, I caused great store of Artichokes 
 to be gathered with their stalkes in their full length as they 
 grew : and, making first a good thick Lay of Artichoke 
 leaves in the bottome of a great and large vessel, I placed 
 my Artichokes one upon another, as close as I could couch 
 them, covering them over, of a pretty thicknesse with 
 Artichoke leaves : those Artichokes were served at my 
 Table all the Lent after, the apples being red and sound, 
 
34 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 only the tops of the leaves a little faded. Sir Hugh Platt, 
 Delights for Ladies, 1594. 
 
 To STEW ARTICHOKES. First let your artichokes be 
 boyled, then take out the core and take off all the leaves, 
 cut the bottome into quarters splitting them in the middle. 
 Provide a flat stewing pan or dish wherein put thin Manchet 
 tostes, and lay the artichoke on them, the Marrows of two 
 Bones, five or six large blades of mace, halfe pound of 
 preserved plums, with their syrup and sugar (if the syrup 
 doe not make them sweet enough). Let all 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 Plummes which 
 will be cheaper if you have no old Preserves. From The 
 Receipt Book of Joseph Cooper, Cook to Charles I, 1654. 
 
 To FRY ARTICHOKES. Boyl and sever all from the 
 Bottoms, and slice them in the midst and quarter it, dip 
 them in Batter and fry them in Butter, for the Sauce take 
 Butter and Sugar with the juice of an orange. Dish your 
 Artichokes with this sauce (being fried brown) and lay 
 boyl'd marrow of bones on them. Garnish it with Orange 
 and serve up. Ibid. 
 
 ARTICHOKE PIE. Take your artichokes, boil them and 
 take out the Leaves and the Core, and trim the Bottoms. 
 Cut some in quarters and some whole. To eight Bottoms 
 take the Marrows of four good bones taken out as whole as 
 you can. Toss these in the Yolks of eggs, and season them 
 with Salt, Sugar, Ginger, Cinnamon and Nutmeg. Raise a 
 Pie. Lay in your Bottoms, put Marrow between and your 
 quarters uppermost, lay marrow with them. Put on them 
 the Yolks of eight hard eggs. Lay over them Citron and 
 Dates. Put over Butter, and close it and Bake. Ibid. 
 
 RESOLES OF ARTICHOKES OR POTATOES. Take Artichoke 
 bottoms boiled (or potatoes boiled), and beat them in a Mortar 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 35 
 
 with good marrow from bones, seasoned with Salt, Nutmeg, 
 Ginger, Cinnamon and Sugar, Orange-flower water or Rose- 
 water, some grated citron; work up with Naples bisket 
 grated, and 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 half as much almonds, finely beaten as eggs, 
 season with the same as before, and work it up with bisket, 
 thick butter, and the yolks of eggs, and put in some plumpt 
 currants, and either bake them or fry them in butter. Ibid. 
 
 To FRY YOUNG ARTICHOKES. Take young artichokes or 
 suckers, and pare off all the outside as you pare Apples, 
 and boyl them tender, then take them up and slit them 
 thorow the midst, but do not take out the coare, but lay the 
 split side downeward on a dry cloth to draine out the water. 
 Then mix a little Flower, two or three yolks of eggs, beaten 
 Ginger, Nutmeg, Vinegar and Salt, to the thickness of a 
 batter and roule them well in it. Then get a frying-pan 
 with Butter pretty hot, and fry them in it till 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 thick. Then dish them 
 on white Bread-Tostes with the Caudle on them, and serve 
 them up. Ibid. 
 
 ARTICHOKE PIE. The Bottoms of artichokes with 
 Marrow and dates with a handful of herbs and baked in 
 a pie. John Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 ARTICHOKES BROILED. Broil them and as the scaley 
 leaves open, baste them with sweet and fresh oyl, but with 
 care extraordinary, for if a drop fall upon the coals all is 
 marr'd : that hazard escaped, eat them with the juice of 
 Orange and Sugar. Ibid. 
 
 POTTED ARTICHOKES. The way of preserving them fresh 
 all winter is by separating the Bottoms from the Leaves 
 
36 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 and after Parboiling, allowing to every Bottom a small 
 earthern glazed Pot; burying it all over in fresh melted 
 Butter as they do Wild Fowl, etc. 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. Ibid. 
 
 ARTICHOKES, THE BRIGOULE WAY. Take the middling 
 sort of Artichokes, pare them, and take off the Choke ; put 
 them into a Stew-pan, seasoned with Pepper, Salt, Garlic 
 cut small, some Truffles, Mushrooms, green Onions, and 
 Parsley ; put it all 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 
 Receipt Book of Vincent La Chapelle, Chief Cook to The 
 Prince of Orange, 1744. 
 
 ARTICHOKES, THE ITALIAN WAY. Take the middling 
 sort of Artichokes, pare and boil them, till you can easily 
 take off 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 these 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 them up 
 with a White Sauce. Ibid. 
 
 BALM 
 
 " Balm makes the heart merry and joyful." 
 
 Arabian Proverb. 
 
 " The herb without all question is an excellent helpe to 
 comfort the heart as the very smell may induce any so to 
 believe." John Parkinson^ Paradisi, 1629. 
 
 Balm is a favourite herb with every one, for there are 
 few leaves with a more delicious and refreshing scent. Balm 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 37 
 
 tea also, with its delicate lemon flavour, is not only most 
 wholesome, but quite unlike any other summer drink. The 
 plant grows wild nearly everywhere in the south of England, 
 and in a garden it is a rampant grower, but it is impossible 
 to have too much of it. No wonder it was a favourite 
 strewing herb in the days when the delightful custom 
 prevailed of strewing rooms with scented herbs. Gerard 
 tells us that if bee -hives are rubbed with balm " it causeth 
 the bees to keepe together and causeth others to come unto 
 them." He also tells us that besides being good for tooth- 
 ache, "it is good for those that cannot take breath unlesse 
 they hold their neckes upright ! " The famous Balm of 
 Gilead in which the Ishmaelites, to whom Joseph was sold, 
 trafficked, and of which Jeremiah speaks, was the true 
 balsam of Judaea, which at one time grew only at Jericho. 
 There is an old legend that it was necessary to pick 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 janis- 
 saries guarded it during the time the balsam was flowing. 
 Our English balm has always been extolled by herbalists 
 as " sovereign for the brain." One of them says : " It is 
 an hearbe greatly to be esteemed of students, for by a special 
 property it driveth away heaviness of mind, sharpeneth 
 the understanding, and encreaseth memory," 
 
 BALM is a hardy herbaceous perennial, and is a terribly 
 rapid spreader. It likes a clayey soil, but it should never 
 be given manure. Propagate by root division (the smallest 
 pieces will grow) any time during the spring and autumn 
 or by slips taken in May. The latter must be inserted in 
 a shady border in May or June, and removed to permanent 
 quarters in September. 
 
 HOW TO MAKE THE WATER WHICH IS USUALLY CALLED 
 
 BALME-WATER. To every gallon of Claret wine put one 
 pound of green balme. Keep that which cometh first, and 
 is clearest, by itselfe, and the second and whiter sort, which 
 
 
38 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 is weakest and comest last, by itselfe : distill in a pewter 
 Limbeck luted with paste to a brasse pot. Draw this in 
 May or June, when the herb is in his prime. Sir Hugh 
 Platt, Delights for Ladies, 1659. 
 
 BALM WINE. Take twenty pounds of lump sugar 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 be. From The Receipt 
 Book of Richard Briggs, many years Cook at the Globe 
 Tavern, Fleet Street, the White Hart Tavern, Holborn, and 
 at the Temple Coffee House, 1788. 
 
 BALM WINE. Boil ten pounds of moist sugar in four 
 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 the 
 mixture stand for twenty-four hours, stirring it frequently ; 
 then close it up, lightly at first and more securely after 
 fermentation has quite ceased. When it has stood for six 
 or eight weeks bottle it off, 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. Fernie, Herbal Simples, 1897. 
 
 BALM TEA. Pour one pint of boiling water on two ounces 
 of the young tops and leaves. 
 
 BASIL 
 
 " This is the herb which all authors are together by the 
 ears about and rail at one another (like lawyers)." 
 Nicholas Culpepper, The English Physitian. 
 
 There are few plants in the herb garden with more con- 
 tradictory associations than basil. Amongst all European 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 39 
 
 nations it is supposed to be endowed with both beneficent 
 and sinister qualities, whilst in the East there is no herb with 
 more sacred associations. 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 Gubernatis says of 
 it : " Under the mystery of this herb is shrouded without 
 doubt the god-creator himself. The herb tulasi is con- 
 secrated 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. When 
 an Indian dies they place on his breast a leaf of tulasi ; when 
 he is dead they wash the head of the corpse with water in 
 which flax-seeds and tulasi leaves have been dropped." 
 Good fortune awaits those who build their house on a spot 
 where tulasi has grown freely, and there is no forgiveness 
 in this world or the next for any one who 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 when the Maharajah of Travancore performs the 
 Sacred Ceremony of tulabharam. 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. The ancient 
 Greeks believed basil must be sown with words of abuse or 
 else it would not flourish, and to this day the French have 
 the proverb, " semer le basilic " slandering. Both amongst 
 Western and Eastern nations basil is associated with death, 
 and in Crete the plant is associated with the Evil One. Yet 
 in Western Europe it is regarded as of sovereign power 
 against witches ! The Italians say basil engenders sympathy 
 between those who wear it; and to Moldavians it is an 
 
40 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 enchanted flower of such potency, that a man who accepts 
 a sprig from a woman will love her for ever. Bacon records 
 the curious superstition that if basil is exposed too much 
 to the sun it changes into wild thyme, and nearly every old 
 herbalist assures 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 sparingly, and for salads, only the tender tops. 
 In those days strong flavours were popular. 
 
 BASIL (both the bush and the larger sweet basil) should 
 be sown in gentle heat in March, hardened off in May, and 
 planted out at the end of May on to warm borders or beds 
 of light, rich earth. 
 
 BETONY 
 
 " Betony is good for a man's soul or his body." 
 
 Saxon Herbal. 
 
 " Wood betony is in its prime in May, 
 In June and July does its bloom display, 
 A fine bright red does this grand plant adorn, 
 To gather it for drink I think no scorn ; 
 I'll make a conserve of its fragrant flowers, 
 Cephalick virtues in this herb remain, 
 To chase each dire disorder from the brain. 
 Delirious persons here a cure may find 
 To stem the phrensy and to calm the mind. 
 All authors own wood -betony is good, 
 'Tis King o'er all the herbs that deck the wood ; 
 A King's physician erst such notice took 
 Of this, he on its virtues wrote a book." 
 
 James Chambers, The Poor Phytologisi. 
 
 Betony has indeed fallen from its old high estate, for 
 how few now know or care about its virtues? Yet with 
 the exception of vervain, there was no herb more highly 
 prized in olden times. The Saxon herbal, to which reference 
 is made in the above, is supposed to be an abridged copy 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 41 
 
 of a treatise written by Antonius Musa, physician to the 
 Emperor Augustus, on the virtues of this plant, which 
 apparently cured every ill which could befall one's head, 
 including nightmare. It was to be gathered " without use 
 of iron, and when thou have gathered it, shake the mould 
 till naught of it cleave thereon, and then dry it in the shade 
 very thoroughly, and with its roots altogether reduce it to 
 dust, then use it and taste of it when thou needest." Every 
 old herbalist was loud in its praises, and to-day any one can 
 prove for themselves the fact that betony certainly cures 
 a headache with surprising rapidity. In Italy they say, 
 " may you have as many virtues as betony," and " sell 
 your coat and buy betony," is a well-known proverb amongst 
 the peasants. It is still one of the ingredients in herbal 
 snuffs, but even if you do not make use of its virtues, you 
 should have betony in your herb garden, for then no evil 
 spirits nor witches will come near you ! Gerard tells us 
 that he found the white-flowered betony " in a wood by a 
 village called Hampsteed, near unto a worshipfull gentle- 
 man's house, one of the Clarks of the Queen's Counsell, 
 called Master Wade, from whence I brought plants for my 
 garden, where they flowered as in their natural place of 
 growing." 
 
 Though betony grows naturally in shady places, it does 
 equally well in full sunshine, and it loves a bank. 
 
 CONSERVE OF BETONY, AFTER THE ITALIAN WAY. Betony 
 new and tender one pound, the best sugar three pound, 
 beat them very small in a stone mortar, let the sugar be 
 boyled with two quarts of betony water to the consistency 
 of a syrup, then mix them together by little and little over 
 a small Fire, and so make it into a Conserve and keep it in 
 Glasses. The Queen's Closet Opened, by W. M., Cook to 
 Queen Henrietta Maria, 1655. 
 
 BETONY TEA. Put two ounces of the herb (flowers and 
 leaves) into two quarts of water, and simmer to three half- 
 pints. 
 
42 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 GREEN SALVE OR ESTONIAN OINTMENT. 1 Take a hand- 
 ful of each of the following herbs, Balm, Sage, Southern- 
 wood, Rosemary, Wood Betony, Camomile, Lavender, 
 Feverfew, Red rosebuds and Wormwood. Strip all from 
 the stalks and cut fine, then boil in ijlbs. of fresh Lard 
 in the Oven for two or three hours, and squeeze thro' a 
 cloth. For a bruise rub gently, and for an inward bruise 
 take the size of a nut in hot beer at bed-time. 
 
 BORAGE 
 
 " The vertue of the conserve of borage is especially good 
 against melancholic ; it maketh one merie." The Treasurie 
 of Hidden Secrets and Commodious Conceits, 1586. 
 
 Pliny calls borage euphrosynum because it made men 
 joyful, and it was one of the four " cordial flowers " for 
 cheering the heart, the other three being rose, violet and 
 anchusa. Parkinson in his Earthly Paradise tells us that 
 its lovely blue flowers were favourites in " women's needle- 
 work," and it is curious that it should have disappeared 
 from modern embroidery, for with its effective black eye, 
 it is always so attractive. According to Dethicke the seeds 
 of borage should be gathered when half ripe and then laid 
 in the sun 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 seem 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 might 
 be revived, " for they are of an excellent cordial savour." 
 
 BORAGE may be sown in any light soil in April, and again 
 in July, and if left alone it will seed itself. The plants 
 
 1 This receipt was kindly given me by Miss C. S. Burne, President 
 of The Folk Lore Society, who appended this note to it : 
 
 Mrs. Mary Goodlad (nee Haworth, of Bury, Lancashire), born 
 1788, died 1870, made and prescribed this ointment regularly. I 
 have myself been treated with it in childhood. The recipe is copied 
 from her own handwriting in a MS. book of recipes belonging to her 
 daughter, my mother. 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 43 
 
 should be well thinned (eighteen inches apart), and it is 
 better not to transplant them. 
 
 To CANDY BORAGE, OR ROSEMARY FLOWERS. Boil Sugar 
 and Rose-water a little upon a chafing-dish with coales : 
 then put the flowers (being thorowly dried, either by the 
 Sun or by the Fire) into the Sugar, and boile them a little : 
 then strew the powder of double refined Sugar upon them, 
 and turne them, and let them boile a little longer, taking 
 the dish from the Fire : then strew more powdered Sugar 
 on the contrary side of the flowers. These will dry of 
 themselves in two or three houres in a hot sunny day, though 
 they lie not in the Sunne. The Queen's Closet Opened, by 
 W. M., Cook to Queen Henrietta Maria, 1655. 
 
 CONSERVE OF BORAGE FLOWERS AFTER THE ITALIAN 
 MANNER. Take of fresh Borage flowers four ounces, fine 
 Sugar twelve ounces, beat them well together in a stone 
 Mortar, and keep them in a vessel well glazed. Ibid. 
 
 BRAMBLE 
 
 " Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou 
 and reign over us ! And the bramble said unto the trees, 
 If in truth ye anoint me King over you, then come and put 
 your trust in my shadow ; and if not let fire come out of 
 the bramble, and devour the Cedars of Lebanon." 
 Judges ix. 14. 
 
 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 nine times over and under a blackberry stem, 
 rooted at both ends, and this must always be done with the 
 sun, i. e. from east 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 
 bushes, and that is why the fruit is so unwholesome in the 
 late autumn. In Cornwall bramble leaves moistened with 
 
44 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 spring water are still used for burns, and when the leaves 
 are applied this charm is said : 
 
 " There came three Angels out of the East, 
 One brought fire and two brought frost ; 
 Out fire and in frost ; 
 In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." 
 
 BLACKBERRY WINE. 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 occasionally; then 
 strain off the liquid, adding to every gallon a couple of 
 pounds of refined sugar, and keep it in a cask tightly corked 
 until the following October, when it will be ripe and rich. 
 Dr. Fernie, Herbal Simples, 1897. 
 
 BROOM 
 
 " If you sweep the house with blossomed broom in May 
 You are sure to sweep the head of the house away." 
 
 Old Sussex Proverb. 
 
 Broom has always been the emblem of humility. On his 
 wedding day, St. Louis of France established the order of 
 Knighthood called FOrdre du Genest. The knights of this 
 order wore a chain of golden broom flowers and white 
 enamelled fleur-de-lis placed alternately, and from this chain 
 hung a cross on which was inscribed, " Deus exaltat humiles." 
 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 immemo- 
 rial been the badge of Brittany, but it is more popularly 
 associated with the Plantagenets of Anjou. 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 having been scourged with broom he took the plant 
 for his crest and surname. It was first used officially on 
 the Great Seal of Richard I. According to the old herbalists 
 broom cured many disorders, and Gerard tells us : " That 
 worthy Prince of famous memory, Henry VIII. of England, 
 was wont to drink the distilled water of Broom-flowers 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 45 
 
 against surfeits and diseases thereof arising." Pickled 
 broom-buds were an ordinary ingredient in salads in Tudor 
 and Stewart days. 
 
 To PICKLE BROOM-BUDS AND PODS. Make a strong 
 pickle of White Wine, Vinegar and Salt able to bear an Egg. 
 Stir very well till the Salt be quite dissolved, clearing off 
 the Dregs and Scum. The next day pour it from the Bottom, 
 and having rubbed the 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 Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 BUGLOSS 
 
 The old herbalists apply the name bugloss with the utmost 
 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 anchusa, and in 
 Pliny's day it was commonly used for dyeing. In the 
 fifteenth century anchusa leaves were used as pot-herbs. 
 
 SYRUP OF THE JUYCE OF ANCHUSA. In sixe pound of the 
 juyce of buglosse, boyle a pound of the flowers, then strain 
 them and clarifie them; boyle with the decoction four 
 pound of sugar, and the Syrup commeth to twopence the 
 ounce. The Charitable Physitian, by Philbert Guibert, 
 Physitian, Regent in Paris, 1639. 
 
 BURNET 
 
 " L'Insalata non e buon ne bella ove non 6 la pimpinella." 
 
 Italian Proverb. 
 
 In Hungary burnet is called " Chabairje " (Chaba's Salve) 
 because the virtues of this plant were first discovered by 
 King Chaba after the terrible battle he fought with his 
 brother. He is said to have cured the wounds of 15,000 of 
 his soldiers with the juice of burnet. In Iroe Grego's book, 
 which professes to be a translation of a book written by 
 King Solomon, magicians are advised to anoint their 
 
46 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 swords with the blood of a mole and the juice of burnet 
 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 salads and as a 
 pot-herb. Only the young tops and leaves should be picked. 
 
 BURNET is a perennial, putting out new pennate leaves 
 every year. Sow the seeds in shallow 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. Choose a 
 dry, sunny position for the bed, and if the soil is deficient 
 in lime, fork in a little before sowing. The leaves should 
 be cut when four inches long, as a fresh crop will follow. 
 Burnet will flourish for years in the same spot. 
 
 CAMOMILE 
 
 " Have a mind thou maythen.. 
 What thou mentionedst 
 What thou accomplishedst 
 At Alderford. 
 That never for flying ill 
 Fatally fell man 
 Since we to him maythen 
 For medicine mixed up. 
 
 Saxon MS. Herbal (Harleian), 1585. 
 
 " To comfort the braine smel to camomill, eate sage . . . 
 wash measurably, sleep reasonably, delight to heare melody 
 and singing." Ram's Little Dodoen, 1606. 
 
 " All parts of this excellent plant are full of virtue." 
 
 Sir John Hill, 1772. 
 
 It is a pity we have so entirely given up the beautiful old 
 Saxon name " Maythen," or " maegthe," for " camomile " 
 (which is derived from a Greek word meaning " earth - 
 apples "). The Spaniards call it manzilla (little apple), and 
 this is also the name of one of their light wines which is 
 flavoured with camomile. One now rarely sees the old- 
 fashioned camomile of which Falstaff said, " the more it is 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 47 
 
 trodden on the faster it grows," but formerly the seats 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 enjoy the 
 pleasant refreshing scent when one walked on it. Evelyn 
 tells us that " in October it will now be good to Beat Roll 
 and Mow carpet walks and camomile, for now the ground 
 is supple and it will even all inequalities." Modern scientific 
 gardeners weed out camomile ruthlessly because it takes 
 so much goodness out of the ground; but old-fashioned 
 gardeners say it is the best of all " plant doctors," and that 
 it will revive any sickly plant near which it is planted. One 
 of the best known French tissanes 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 MAKE OYLE OF CAMOMILE. Take oyle a pint and a 
 halfe, and three ounces of camomile flowers dryed one day 
 after they be gathered. Then put the oyle and the flowers 
 in a glasse and stop the mouth close and set it into the 
 Sun by the space of forty days. The Good Housewife's 
 Handbook, 1588. 
 
 CAMOMILE TEA. Pour one pint of boiling water on an 
 ounce of the dried flowers. When it has stood for ten 
 minutes strain and sweeten with sugar or honey. 
 
 CARAWAY 
 
 " Come, cousin Silence ! we will eat a pippin of last year's 
 grafting with a dish of carraways and then to bed ! " 
 Henry IV. 
 
 Caraway is not a native of our islands, but it is frequently 
 found growing in waste places in the south of England. 
 Formerly bread, cheese and soup were frequently flavoured 
 with the seeds ; and the young roots, which are excellent, 
 were eaten like parsnips. Canon Ellacombe says that little 
 
48 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 saucerfuls of caraway seeds were still served in his day 
 with roast apples at some of the London livery dinners. 
 
 CARAWAY is a hardy biennial, and is best sown in the early 
 autumn, though it may also be sown in March or April. 
 
 CHERVIL 
 
 " Sweet Chervil or Sweet Cis is so like in taste unto Anis 
 seede that it much delighteth the taste among other herbs 
 in asallet." John Parkinson, Paradisi, 1629. 
 
 The Romans taught us to use this herb, so it is a very 
 old inhabitant of the herb garden ; and a fifteenth-century 
 MS. of Cookery recipes lists it as one of the necessary plants 
 to grow for use in the kitchen. For some unknown reason 
 it has almost disappeared from English gardens, though it 
 is common enough in France. Evelyn in his Acetaria says 
 chervil should " never be wanting in sallets as long as they 
 may be had, being exceedingly wholesome and cheering 
 the spirits." He adds that " the roots boiled and eaten 
 cold are much commended for aged persons." Chervil was 
 also largely used for flavouring sauces and tarts, and also for 
 garnishing. The bulbous-rooted chervil is rarely seen on 
 English tables, but it is extensively used on the Continent. 
 The roots should be carefully washed but never 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 people to bee boiled or stewed in a pipkin 
 either by itself or with other herbs, whereof they make a 
 Loblolly and so eate it. Sweet e chervil gathered while it 
 is young and put among other herbs for a sallet addeth a 
 marvellous good relish to all the rest." 
 
 CHERVIL likes a light, well-drained soil, and plenty of 
 chalk. Sow the seeds from February to August for succes- 
 sion in drills eight inches apart, and thin the seedlings to 
 six inches apart. The leaves are ready to be used when a 
 few inches high. 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 49 
 
 To MAKE CHERVIL POTTAGE THE DUTCH WAY (usually 
 eat in the Months of March and April). Take a Knuckle of 
 Veal all chopped in little Pieces, except the Marrow-bone; 
 season the Flesh with a little Salt, Nutmeg, pounded Biscuit, 
 and Yolks of Eggs, and make little Force-meat Balls, the 
 Bigness of a Pigeon's Egg ; which, being boiled in a Broth- 
 pot, for the Space of a full Hour ; take three or four Handfuls 
 of Chervil picked clean, two or three Leeks, and a good 
 Handful of Beet-leaves ; mince them together, and add two 
 or three Spoonfuls of Flour well mixt with two or three 
 Spoonfuls of Broth, that it may not be lumpy, and do it 
 over the Stove, as you would do Milk-pottage. This Pottage 
 must appear green. On Fish-days cut some Eels in Pieces, 
 with which make the Broth, and you may put in a Handful 
 of Sorrel among the other Herbs. From The Receipt Book 
 of Vincent La Chapelle, Chief Cook to the Prince of Orange, 
 1744- 
 
 ANOTHER SORT OF CHERVIL BROTH. Instead of boiling 
 your Chervil, pound it, and take about a glass of its Juice, 
 mix it with your Broth, whilst it is hot, but not boiling, lest 
 the Juice lose its Taste and Quality. This Broth is very 
 cooling, though it does not look pleasing to the Eye, by 
 reason of its Greenness; but it has more Vertue in the 
 Spring, to sweeten and purify the Blood, than in any other 
 Season. Ibid. 
 
 CHICKWEED 
 
 This herb grows wild in all the habitable parts of the 
 world. Formerly it was an esteemed pot-herb, and as it is 
 particularly rich in salts of potash, we might with advantage 
 use it again as an ingredient in vegetable soups. Linnseus 
 had a " dial " made of herbs and flowers which opened at 
 the successive hours. Ingram in his Flora Symbolica gives 
 a list of plants to make this sort of dial, and the list begins 
 with Goat's Beard (opening at three a.m.) and ends with 
 Chickweed which only opens at 9.15 a.m. 
 E 
 
50 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 CHICKWEED TEA. One quart of boiling water poured on 
 to two large handfuls of the plant. 
 
 CLARY 
 
 A few cooks now put young Clary tops in soups, but it 
 is astonishing 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 salads, the flowers being 
 strewn on salads, the leaves (chopped) used in Omelets ; and 
 the tender leaves, " made up with cream," were fried in 
 butter and then eaten with sugar flavoured with Orange or 
 Lemon juice. It was an ingredient in perfumes, in ale and 
 beer and nearly all the home-made wines and metheglins, 
 and Clary wine was famed for its narcotic properties. Hogg 
 in his Vegetable Kingdom and its Products says it was used 
 in Austria in fruit jellies, to which it gave a flavour of 
 pineapple. 
 
 CLARY WINE. Ten gallons ^of water, thirteen pounds of 
 sugar to the gallon, and the whites of sixteen eggs well beat. 
 Boil it slowly one hour 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 ale yeast, then put in your liquor and stir it 
 twice a day till it has done working. Make it up close and 
 keep it four months, and then bottle it off. John Murrell, 
 A Delightful Daily Exercise for Ladies and Gentlemen, 
 1621. 
 
 To MAKE CLARY WINE. Take twelve- pounds of Malaga 
 Raisins, after they have been pick'd small and chop'd, put 
 them into a Vessel, a quart of Water to each pound. Let 
 them stand to steep for ten or twelve Days, being kept close 
 covered all the while, stirring them twice every Day ; after- 
 wards strain it off, 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 SUNDRY HERBS 51 
 
 Months. It will have a great Settlement, therefore it 
 should be tap'd pretty high, or drawn off by Plugs. From 
 The Receipt Book of Charles Carter, Cook to the Duke of 
 Argyll, 1732. 
 
 CLARY FRITTERS. Make a good stiff batter with half a 
 pint of new milk, four eggs, and flour; grate in a little 
 lemon-peel and some nutmeg, put in two ounces of powder 
 sugar, and a small glass of brandy ; then take a dozen Clary 
 leaves, cut away the stalks, put them into batter, taking 
 care that they have plenty of it on both sides ; have a pan 
 of boiling hog's -lard, put them in one by one, and fry them 
 quick on both sides of a light brown; then take them out, 
 lay them on a sieve to drain a moment, put them in 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 The Receipt Book of Richard Briggs, 
 many years Cook at the Globe Tavern, Fleet Street, the 
 White Hart Tavern, Holborn, and at the Temple Coffee 
 House, 1788. 
 
 COLTSFOOT 
 
 " Black heaths are patched with coltsfoot-gold bizarre." 
 
 W. DOWSING. 
 
 Herbalists are never weary of telling us that when Nature 
 gives any herb in abundance it is a sure sign that it is 
 possessed of great virtue. Nettles, Yarrow, Plantain, 
 Dandelion, Coltsfoot, and a hundred other so-called " weeds " 
 all testify to the truth of this. Even in the heart of London 
 it would be difficult to find any waste land without Coltsfoot 
 growing on it. From the days of Hippocrates a decoction 
 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 should also have some 
 of the leaves dried and cut small and smoke them as tobacco. 
 
52 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 This is an old practice, and experience shows it right and 
 excellent " ; then he adds, " Here let us stop a moment 
 and adore the goodness of Divine Providence which makes 
 the best things the most common. The Segroms which can 
 do only mischief are found in but a few places : this so full 
 of excellence grows at our doors, and we tread it everywhere 
 under our feet/' 
 
 Formerly the Bavarian peasants made garlands of Colts- 
 foot flowers on Easter Day and threw it into the fire, but 
 the origin of this is unknown. In the Highlands there are 
 still women who stuff their pillows with the silky Coltsfoot 
 down, and it makes the softest pillows imaginable. In 
 other parts of Scotland there is a curious belief that where 
 Coltsfoot grows abundantly 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 sign of coming rain. 
 
 SYRUP OF COLTSFOOT. Make three infusions, one after 
 another, of colts-foot, each time halfe a pound in a quart 
 of water; the last infusion being strained, clarifie it and 
 put it into a pound and a halfe of good Sugar, and boil it 
 to the height of a Syrup : the which Syrup amounteth to 
 penny half-penny the ounce. The Charitable Physitian, by 
 Philbert Guibert, Physitian Regent in Paris, 1639. 
 
 COLTSFOOT TEA. Pour a quart of boiling water on two 
 handfuls of the leaves. 
 
 CORIANDER 
 
 " And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna : 
 and it was like Coriander seed, white; and the taste of it 
 was like wafers made with honey." Exodus xvi. 31. 
 
 " Coriander taken out of season doth trouble a mann's 
 witt with great jeopardy of madness." William Turner, 
 A Newe Herb all, 1551. 
 
 Coriander, Mallows, Chervil and Dill 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 
 together. Coriander was one of the bitter herbs ordained 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 53 
 
 to be eaten at the Passover ; and in Egypt, where it was 
 largely cultivated, the seeds were bruised to mix with bread. 
 All Eastern nations esteem it highly, but apart from drugs, 
 we only use it now in liqueurs and for the little Sugar balls 
 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 gardening. The Feate of 
 Gardening, by Mayster Jon Gardener, 1440. Coriander seed 
 has the delightful quality of becoming more fragrant the 
 longer it is kept. The foliage of the plant has an almost 
 offensively strong odour. 
 
 CORIANDER is a hardy annual. Sow the seeds at the end 
 of March. 
 
 CORIANDER WATER. Take a handful of Coriander seeds, 
 break them and put them into about a quart of water, and 
 so let it stand, put in a quarter of a pound of sugar, and 
 when your sugar is melted and the water well taken the 
 taste of the seeds, then strain it out through a cloath and 
 drink it at your pleasure. You may do the same with 
 aniseeds. A Perfect School of Instruction for the Officers of 
 the Month, by Giles Rose, one of the Master Cooks to 
 Charles II, 1682. 
 
 COWSLIP 
 
 " As blake (yellow) as a paigle (cowslip)." 
 
 East Anglian Proverb. 
 
 " Where the bee sucks, there suck I ; 
 In the cowslip's bell I lie : 
 There I couch when owls do cry." 
 
 The Tempest, Act V., Scene i. 
 
 " Cowslips wan that hang the pensive head." 
 
 Lycidas, Canto 139. 
 
 What endless uses our ancestors made of cowslips ! They 
 used the young leaves and flowers in salads and for pot- 
 herbs, and made cowslip creams, puddings, tarts and wines. 
 They candied and pickled the flowers, made cowslip tea and 
 
54 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 syrup, and one of the most famous complexion washes was 
 made of cowslips and cucumbers. 
 
 COWSLIP CREAM. Take the Cowslips when they are 
 green and in Blossom, and bruise them in a mortar, and 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 it up with the Yolks of two or three Eggs, and clip off 
 the tops of a handful of the Flowers and draw up with it 
 and dish as you please. From The Receipt Book of Joseph 
 Cooper, Cook to Charles I, 1654. 
 
 ANOTHER 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 candy'd Cowslips when you draw it up. Dish it in 
 Basons and Glasses, and strew over some candy'd cowslips. 
 Ibid. 
 
 To KEEP COWSLIPS FOR SALATES. 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 Cowslips, 
 pull them out of the podds, and cut off the green Knobs at 
 the lower end, put them into the pot or glasse wherein 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 
 use. A Book of Fruits and Flowers, 1653. 
 
 To CONSERVE COWSLIPS. Gather your flowers in the 
 midst of the <day when all the dew is off, then cut off all the 
 white, leaving none but the yellow blossome 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 powder, 
 put the Sugar into a pan, and candy it, with as little water 
 as you can, then taking it off the fire, put in your Flowers by 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 55 
 
 little and little, never ceasing to stir them till they be dry, 
 and enough; then put them into glasses, or gallypots, 
 and keep them dry for your use. These are rather Candied 
 then Conserved Cowslips. Ibid. 
 
 SYRUPE OF COWSLIPS. 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 Syrupe. It is 
 good against the Frensie, comforting and staying the head 
 in all hot Agues, etc. It is good against the Palsie, and 
 procures a Sick Patient to sleep; it must be taken in 
 Almond-milk, or some other warm thing. Ibid. 
 
 PICKLED COWSLIPS. Pickt very clean ; to each Pound of 
 Flowers allow about one pound of Loaf Sugar and one pint 
 of White Wine Vinegar, which boil to a Syrup, and cover 
 it scalding hot. John Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 To CANDY COWSLIPS OR ANY FLOWERS OR GREENS IN 
 BUNCHES. Steep your gum arabic in Water, wet the flowers 
 with it and shake them in a cloth 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 
 dry. From The Receipt Book of Mrs. Mary Bales, Confec- 
 tioner to Queen Anne, 1719. 
 
 To MAKE A COWSLIP TART. Take the Blossoms of a 
 Gallon of Cowslips, mince them exceeding small, and beat 
 them in a Mortar ; put to them a Handful or two of grated 
 Naples Bisket, and about a Pint 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 till it does; take heed that it do not 
 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 before you stir in the Eggs. From 
 
56 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 The Receipt Book of Patrick Lamb, Head Cook successively to 
 Charles II, James II, William and Mary, and Anne, 1716. 
 
 COWSLIP WINE. Nine pints of water, two pounds of 
 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 
 work, covered close and stirred three times a day for the 
 first three days. Then drain into bottles and stop it tight. 
 It will keep for a year. E. G. Hayden, Travels round our 
 Village. 
 
 COWSLIP PUDDING. Half a peck of cowslips, pick off 
 the flowers and chop fine with J Ib. Naples Bisket grated, 
 ij pints new milk or cream. Boil them all together, then 
 take them off 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 cool. Lay a puff 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 hot. Ibid. 
 
 COWSLIP SYRUP. Three pounds of the fresh blossoms 
 infused in five pints of boiling water, and then simmered 
 with sugar to a syrup. Dr. Fernie, Herbal Simples, 1897. 
 
 DAISY 
 
 " Shut not so soon ; the dull-eyed night 
 
 Has not as yet begunne 
 To make a seisure on the light, 
 Or to scale up the Sun." 
 
 Herrick, To Daisies. 
 
 The Gaelic poet, Ossian, tells us how daisies were first 
 sown. When Malvina was weeping beside Fingal's tomb 
 for her infant son, the maids of Morven comforted her by 
 telling her they had seen the baby boy showering many 
 beautiful flowers from heaven on to the earth, and amongst 
 them the daisy. Sir John Hill says, " The daisy has great 
 but neglected virtues worthy of a serious attention. Their 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 57 
 
 taste is that of coltsfoot, but more mucilaginous and without 
 its bitterness. The infusion should be made like coltsfoot, 
 and once boiled. Drink it with an equal quantity of milk. 
 Asses milk has ten times the effect if this be taken with it." 
 Daisy roots are still eaten by the Italian and Spanish peasants, 
 and formerly the young leaves were an ordinary ingredient 
 in our salads. Many herbalists refer to the curious old 
 belief that if daisy roots are boiled in milk and given to 
 puppies it will stunt their growth ; and there is the old fairy 
 story of the wicked fairy Milkah who fed her royal foster- 
 child on this food to make him a pigmy. One herbalist 
 says that to put daisy roots under your pillow is to ensure 
 pleasant dreams of those you love most. 
 
 DANDELION 
 
 " The French country people eat the roots, and 'twas 
 with this homely sallet the good wife Hecate entertained 
 Theseus." John Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 Dandelion was formerly used not only as a pot-herb in 
 broths, but also much more than they are now in salads. 
 Folkard gives a curious account of a Donegal simpler who 
 treated her patient with " heart fever" thus. " She measures 
 the sufferer three times round the waist with a ribbon, to 
 the outer edge of which is fastened a green thread. If the 
 patient be mistaken in supposing herself affected with heart 
 fever, this green thread will remain in its place, but should 
 he really have the disorder, it is found that the green thread 
 has left the edge of the ribbon and lies curled up in the 
 centre. At the third measuring the simpler prays for a 
 blessing. She next hands the patient nine leaves of heart- 
 fever grass, or dandelion, gathered by herself, directing him 
 to cut three leaves on three successive mornings." 
 
 DANDELION TEA. One pint of boiling water on two 
 handfuls of the pips and left till lukewarm. 
 
 DANDELION WINE To make nine gallons of wine. Boil 
 twenty-seven quarts of pips in nine gallons of water for an 
 hour. Strain and boil again with 13^ Ibs. best Demerara 
 
58 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 sugar, i oz. of hops, J Ib. brown ginger, and sufficient orange 
 and lemon peel to taste. Slice eighteen Seville oranges and 
 twelve lemons, and put to them i3^1bs. sugar as above. 
 Pour over them, and boiling beyond when blood warm, add 
 a little brewer's yeast. Strain again before putting into a 
 barrel. The wine should be allowed to work three or 
 four days before being bunged tight. Bottle in six months. 
 Like a sharp liqueur. E. G. Hayden, Travels round our 
 Village. 
 
 DILL 
 
 " I am always pleased with that particular time of the 
 year which is proper for the pickling of dill and cucumbers." 
 Addison in The Spectator. 
 
 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. 
 The name dill is supposed to be derived from the Saxon 
 dillan to lull, because a decoction was made from the 
 seeds to soothe babies to sleep. It is one of the herbs used 
 by magicians in their spells, and also in charms against 
 witchcraft. 
 
 DILL seed can be sown any time in March or April or in 
 the autumn. Sow in drills six inches apart. 
 
 To PICKLE CUCUMBERS IN DILL. 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 allom to a gallon of water, and 
 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 boyl'd and 
 cold, which will keep longer sweet, or if you like not this 
 pickle doe it with Water Salt and White Wine Vinegar, or 
 (if you please) pour the Water and Salt on them scalding 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 59 
 
 hot, which will make them ready to use the sooner. From 
 The Receipt Book of Joseph Cooper, Cook to Charles I, 1640. 
 
 DILL AND COLLY-FLOWER PICKLE. Boil the Colly- 
 flowers till 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 all upon the Colly- 
 flower. John Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 ELDER 
 
 " The common people formerly gathered the Leaves of 
 Elder upon the last day of Aprill, which to disappoint the 
 charmes of Witches they had affixed to their Doores and 
 Windowes. I doe not desire any to pin their Faiths upon 
 these reports, but only let them know there are such which 
 they may believe as they please." William Coles, The Art 
 of Simpling, 1656. 
 
 However tiny the herb garden, there should 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, she must first be asked 
 to give her permission. " Lady Elder, give me some of thy 
 wood, and then will I also give thee some of mine when it 
 grows in the forest." The Elder plays a conspicuous part 
 in all the mythology and folklore of the Scandinavian 
 nations, and every child loves Hans Andersen's beautiful 
 story of Mother Elder. The Russian peasants say that 
 the spirit of the elder is full of compassion for human beings, 
 and drives away all evil spirits from them, and gives long 
 life also. The Danes believe it is the height of ill-luck to 
 have furniture made of elder, or to board the floors with its 
 wood, and if a cradle is made of the wood, the Elder Mother 
 will come and pull the child out of it. The pith of the tree 
 has wonderful powers, for, if cut in round, flat shapes, and 
 dipped in oil, lighted, and then put to float in a glass of 
 water, its light on Christmas Eve will reveal to the owner 
 
60 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 all the witches and sorcerers in the neighbourhood. In the 
 Tyrol 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 
 sign that the dead person's soul is in Paradise. Our English 
 peasantry had formerly a great veneration for elder, and 
 many still testify to its wonderful 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 Elves and all his train go by. 
 
 TO TAKE AWAY THE FRECKLES IN THE FACE. Wash your 
 
 face, in the wane of the Moone, with a sponge, morning and 
 evening, with the distilled water of Elder-leaves, letting the 
 same dry into the skinne. Your water must be distilled 
 in May. This from a Traveller, who hath cured himselfe 
 thereby. Sir Hugh Platt, Delights for Ladies, 1659. 
 
 THE LADY THORNBURGH'S SYRUP OF ELDERS. Take 
 Elderberries when they are red, bruise them in a stone Mortar, 
 strain the juyce, and boyl it to a Consumption of almost 
 half, skum it very clear, take it off the fire whilest it is hot, 
 put in Sugar to the thickness of a Syrup ; put it no more 
 on the fire, when it is cold put it into glasses, not filling them 
 to the top, for it will work like Beer. The Queen's Closet 
 Opened, by W. M., Cook to Queen Henrietta Maria, 1655. 
 
 To PICKLE ELDER BUDS. Put the Buds into Vinegar, 
 season'd with Salt, whole pepper, large mace, lemon-peel 
 cut small, let them have two or three walms over the Fire ; 
 then take them out and let the Buds and Pickle both cool, 
 then put the Buds into your Pot and cover them with the 
 Pickle. From The Receipt Book of John Nott, Cook to the 
 Duke of Bolton, 1723. 
 
 To PICKLE ELDER TOPS. Break the Tops of young 
 Sprouts of Elder, about the middle of April, six inches long, 
 let them have half a dozen walms in boiling Water, then 
 drain them ; make a pickle of wine water, salt, and bruised 
 pepper, put them into the Pickle, and stop them up close. 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 61 
 
 ELDER VINEGAR. Put dryed Elder flowers into Stone 
 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. Ibid. 
 
 ELDER FLOWER FRITTERS.- Gather your Bunches of 
 Elder Flowers, just as they are beginning to open, for that 
 is the time of 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 
 spirited and just the contrary of what it is afterwards. The 
 Elder Flowers being thus chosen, break each Bunch into 
 four regular Parts, lay these carefully in a Soup Dish ; break 
 in a Stick of Cinnamon, pour 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, and-let them Soak about an Hour, in covering 
 and stirring them about at Times, to see how they 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 Quantity of Hog's Lard 
 in a Stew-pan, when it is very hot, fry the Fritters, the 
 Method is this : The Elder Flowers are to be taken out of 
 their Liquor, and put into the Batter, and the Quantity 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 finest 
 Orange-flower Water over them, and serve them up. Ibid. 
 
 ELDER WINE. To every Gallon of Water a peck of 
 berries. To every Gallon of Juice three pounds of Sugar, 
 
62 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 half of Ground Ginger, six cloves, and one pound 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, skimming the whole time. Let 
 it strain until lukewarm. Then pour into a clean dry cask 
 with the proportion 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. 
 Hayden, Travels round our Village. 
 
 ELDER LEAF TEA. Simmer six 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. 
 
 ROB OF ELDER. Boil a dessert spoon of the berries with 
 sugar or honey and stir into a glass of water. 
 
 ELDER BLOSSOM AND PEPPERMINT TEA. Pour one and a 
 half pints of boiling water on two handfuls of the Elder- 
 blossom and peppermint. 
 
 ELECAMPANE 
 
 " Excellent herbs had our fathers of old 
 
 Excellent herbs to ease our pain 
 
 Alexander and Marigold, 
 
 Eyebright, Orris and Elecampane, 
 
 Basil, Rocket, Valerian, Rue, 
 
 (Almost singing themselves they run), 
 
 Vervain, Dittany, Call-me-to-you 
 
 Cowslip, Melilot, Rose of the Sun. 
 
 Anything green that grew out of the mould 
 Was an excellent herb to our fathers of old. 
 
 RUDYARD KIPLING. 
 
 When Paris carried off Helen of Troy she is supposed to 
 have had her hands full of this herb, and according to another 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 63 
 
 tradition, it sprang from her 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 moderns who do not include 
 this stately golden-flowered plant amongst our herbs. Sir 
 John Hill 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 druggists, 
 which has been baked, ground in a mill, and tho' cheap 
 enough in itself, yet mixed with flour to make it cheaper. 
 In that state it has little either of taste, smell, or virtue. 
 The 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 qualities. The taste and smell com- 
 pared with the dry will abundantly show this before we 
 feel its good effects. The 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 sowing the seed, or by division of 
 the roots after flowering. It will flourish anywhere. 
 
 CONSERVE OF ELECAMPANE ROOT. Cleanse and scrape 
 the root. Cut them into thin round slices, letting them soke 
 in water over the hot embers for a long space, and boil them 
 till all the liquor be wasted. Beat them in a stone mortar, 
 very fine. Boyle the whole with a like weighte 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, The Gardener's Labyrinth, 
 1577- 
 
 To MAKE PASTE OF ELECAMPANE ROOTS, AN EXCELLENT 
 
 REMEDY AGAINST THE COUGH OF THE LUNGS. Take the 
 
64 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 youngest Elecampane roots and boyl 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 pulp 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 so dry it in an Oven 
 till it be dry. The Queen's Closet Opened, by W. M., Cook 
 to Queen Henrietta Maria, 1655. 
 
 ELECAMPANE TONIC. Slice the fresh root thin, and to a 
 quarter of a pound of it pour three pints of boiling water. 
 After standing 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 this 
 be drank four times a day. Sir John Hill, The British 
 Herbal, 1772. 
 
 ENDIVE 
 
 In appearance, at least, there seems little connection 
 between our common garden Endive and the Succory of 
 the fields. Is 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 Sun wished 
 to marry, but she refused. So he transformed her into 
 Succory, and condemned her for ever to gaze on him from 
 the moment he rose till he set. There is a curious trace of 
 this legend in the widespread old belief that Succory must 
 never be uprooted save with gold or a stag's horn (emblems 
 of the Sun'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 SALLET OF WILD, GREEN SUCCORY. 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 out very well, and Dish it up on a 
 Plate, and garnish it with anything, either white or red. 
 You may do the same with the white, or wilde Succory, only 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 65 
 
 garnish it with either red or green, or both if you please. 
 A Perfect School of Instructions for the Officers of the Month, 
 by Giles Rose, one of the Master Cooks to Charles II, 1682. 
 
 EGGS WITH SUCCORY. Blanch some Succory, squeeze it 
 well, give it three or four Cuts with a Knife, put it into a 
 Stew-pan, moisten it with a little Fish-broth, season it with 
 Pepper, Salt, a Bunch of Savory Herbs, let it simmer half 
 an hour, and then thicken it with a Fish-Cullis, lay it 
 handsomely in the Dish, and having poached your Eggs in 
 Butter, and cut them round, lay them upon the Succory, 
 and serve them in Plates or little Dishes, or for Hors- 
 d'ceuvres. Ibid. 
 
 EYEBRIGHT 
 
 Eyebright Euphrasia officinalis is one of the loveliest 
 of minute herbs. The ancient Greeks named it after the 
 linnet, who first revealed its virtues to mankind. It has 
 always had the reputation of restoring lost vision, and 
 Culpepper tells us that if only we knew how to use it 
 properly, spectacle makers would soon lose their trade. 
 Many herbalists also recommend eyebright tea. 
 
 EYEBRIGHT TEA. One pint of boiling water poured on 
 to an ounce of the whole herb. 
 
 FENNEL 
 
 " He who sees fennel and gathers it not, is not a man but 
 a devil." The Book of I ago ab Dewi. 
 
 " Fennel in potage and in mete 
 
 Is good to done whane yu schalt ete. 
 All grene looke it be corwyn (carved) small 
 In what mete you usyn schall." 
 
 Fourteenth Century MS , 
 
 " Then went I forth on my right hond 
 Downe by a little path I fond 
 Of mintes full and fennell greene." 
 
 CHAUCER. 
 
66 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 " Above the lowly plants it towers, 
 The fennel, with its yellow flowers, 
 And in an earlier age than ours 
 Was gifted with the wondrous powers, 
 
 Lost vision to restore. 
 It gave new strength and fearless mood ; 
 And gladiators., fierce and rude. 
 Mingled it in their daily food ; 
 And he who battled and subdued, 
 
 A wreath of fennel wore." 
 
 Longfellow, The Goblet of Life. 
 
 We only use fennel in fennel sauce, and that far too 
 seldom, for it is a most wholesome herb. In the Middle 
 Ages the poor folk used it not only to relieve the pangs of 
 hunger, but also to make unsavoury food palatable. It 
 was also used in large quantities in the households of the 
 rich, and Miss Amherst points out that from the Wardrobe 
 Accounts of Edward I's household, it may be seen that 
 eight and a half pounds of fennel were brought for one month's 
 supply. Finnochio is a popular Italian dish, and this sweet 
 fennel is now becoming more common in English gardens. 
 Fennel has always been renowned for its power of restoring 
 the eyesight since Pliny's days, and one herbalist tells us, 
 " A serpent doth so hate the ashtree that she will not come 
 nigh the shadow of it, but she delights in fennel very much, 
 which she eates to cleare her eyesight." Formerly, the 
 seeds used to be coated with sugar and eaten like Coriander 
 seeds. The young stalks were peeled and used like celery, 
 and the tender tufts and leaves were an ingredient in Salads. 
 
 FENNEL can be raised either by sowing the seed in the 
 spring, or by dividing the roots at any time excepting when 
 the plant is in flower. 
 
 FOR TO MAKE ONE SLENDER. Take fennel and seethe it 
 in water, a very good quantity, and wring out the juice 
 thereof when it is sod, and drink it first and last, and it shall 
 swage either him or her. T. Dawson, The Good Housewife's 
 Jewell, 1585. 
 
 A SALLET OF FENNEL. Take young Fennel about a span 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 67 
 
 long, in the spring, tye it up in bunches as you do Sparra- 
 grass; when your Skillet boyls, put in enough to make a 
 dish ; when it is boyled and drained, dish it up as you do 
 Sparragrass, pour on Butter and Vinegar and send it up. 
 William Rabisha, The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected, 1675. 
 
 To MAKE WHITE FENNEL. Take the branches of fennel, 
 make them very clean, and lay them a drying, and when they 
 are dry take the white of an Egg and a little orange-flower 
 water, beat this well together, and dip your Fennel into it 
 and let it steep a little, then sprinkle fine sugar in powder 
 over it, and lay it to dry before the fire upon a sheet of 
 paper. A Perfect School of Instructions for the Officers of the 
 Month, by Giles Rose, one of the Master Cooks to Charles II, 
 1682. 
 
 FENNEL AND GOOSEBERRY SAUCE. Brown some Butter 
 in a saucepan with a pinch of flour, then put in a few cives 
 shred small, add a little Irish broth to moisten it, season 
 with salt and pepper ; make these boil, then put in two or 
 three sprigs of Fennel and some Gooseberries. Let all 
 simmer together till the Gooseberries are soft and then put 
 in some Cullis. From The Receipt Book of Henry Howard, 
 Free Cook of London, 1710; and Cook to the Duke of 
 Ormond. 
 
 To PICKLE FENNEL. Make water boil, tie your Fennel 
 up in bunches and put them into the water ; give them half 
 a dozen Walms ; drain them, put them into a Pot, and let 
 your Pickle be Vinegar. From The Receipt Book of John 
 Nott, Cook to the Duke of Bolton, 1723. 
 
 FENNEL TEA. Half a pint of boiling water poured on a 
 teaspoonful of bruised fennel seeds. 
 
 FEVERFEW 
 
 " In the worst headaches this Herb exceeds whatever else 
 is known." Sir John Hill, The British Herbal, 1772. 
 
 Feverfew is still used by country people in England to 
 cure headaches. Sir John Hill quotes many instances of 
 
68 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 cures effected by it, and amongst them the following : "A 
 lady of great e worth and virtue, the mother of the late Sir 
 William Bowyer, told me that having in the younger part 
 of her life a very terrible and almost constant Headache, 
 fixed in one small spot, and raging at all times almost to 
 distraction, she was at length cured by a maid-servant with 
 this Herb." 
 
 FEVERFEW TEA. Pour a quart of boiling water on two 
 handfuls of the flowers and leaves. 
 
 GILLYFLOWERS 
 
 " As they are in beauty and sweetness so are they in virtue 
 and wholesomeness." W. Lawson, The Country Housewife's 
 Garden. 
 
 " The conserve of the Carnation Gillyflower is exceeding 
 Cordiall eaten now and then." TRYON. 
 
 There has always been much learned discussion as to 
 exactly what the old gillyflower was, but any child looking 
 at the old illustrations would identify it with the pink or 
 carnation, and this is near enough for all practical purposes. 
 The good old English name of Gillyflower is such a much 
 prettier name than Carnation that it is a pity we do not use 
 it. There are numerous illustrations of the cultivated gilly- 
 flowers in Parkinson's Earthly Paradise, and some of them 
 have enchanting names : " Master Tuggie's Princesse," 
 " Lustie Gallant," " Fair Maid of Kent/' " Master Brad- 
 shawe his daintie Ladie," " John Wilke his great tawny 
 gillowflower," " Speckled Tawny," " Master Tuggie his Rose 
 gillowflower." Another common name for gillyflowers was 
 " Sops in Wine," because wine was flavoured with them when 
 they were in flower. 
 
 Many of the old writers give curious directions of 
 how to improve or alter the colour and scent of gilly- 
 flowers which seem to have held a place in our affection 
 only second to roses throughout the Middle Ages. Tryon 
 says, " These gilliflowers you may make of any colours you 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 69 
 
 please in such sort as is shewed you for the colouring of 
 lillyes, and if you please to have them of mixt colours you 
 may also by Grafting of contrary colours one with another, 
 and you may with as great ease graft the gilliflowers as any 
 fruit whatsoever by the joynings 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 
 tempered. And you shall understand that the grafting of 
 gilliflowers maketh them exceeding great double and most 
 orient of colour. Now if you will have your gilliflowers of 
 divers srnels or odours, you may also with great ease, as thus 
 for example : if you will take two or three great Cloves, 
 steepe them for four and twenty hours in Damaske Rose- 
 water. Then take them out and bruise them and put them 
 into a fine Cambrick ragge and so binde them about the 
 heart roote of the gilliflower 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 breed both delight and wonder. If in the same 
 manner you take a sticke of cinnamon and steepe it in Rose- 
 water, and then bruise it and 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 Damaske 
 Rose-water, and bind it, as aforesaid, the flowers will smell 
 strongly of muske, yet not too hot nor offensive, by reason 
 of the connection of the Rose-water, and in this sort you 
 may doe either with Ambergreece storac, Benjamin, or any 
 other sweet drugge whatsoever, and if in any of these con- 
 fections before named you steep the seedes of your gilli- 
 flowers foure and twenty houres before you sowe them, 
 they will take the same smels in which you steept them, 
 onely they will not be so large or double, as those which 
 are replanted or grafted. 
 
 To MAKE SYRUP OF CLOVE GILLYFLOWERS. Take a quart 
 of water, half a bushel of Flowers, cut off the whites, and 
 with a Sive sift away the seeds, bruise them a little; let 
 your water be boyled and a little cold again, then put iu 
 
70 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 your Flowers, and let them stand close covered twenty-four 
 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 Gallypot, set it in a pot of water, and there let it 
 boyl till all the Sugar be melted, and the Syrup be pretty 
 thick, then take it out and let it stand in that till it be 
 thorough cold, then glass it. The Queen's Closet Opened, 
 by W. M., Cook to Queen Henrietta Maria, 1655. 
 
 To MAKE GILLYFLOWER WINE. Take two ounces of 
 dryed Gillyflowers, and put them into a bottle of Sack, and 
 beat three ounces of Sugar candy, or fine Sugar, and grinde 
 some Ambergreese, and put it in the bottle and shake it 
 oft, then run it through a gelly bag, and give it for a great 
 Cordiall after a week's standing or more. You make 
 Lavender Wine as you doe this. Ibid. 
 
 CONSERVE OF GILLYFLOWERS. Pickle up stratum super 
 stratum, a lay of flowers, and then strawed over with fine, 
 dry and powdered Sugar, and so lay, after lay strawed 
 over untill the pot be full you meane to keepe them in, 
 and after filled up or covered over with Vinegar. John 
 Parkinson, Paradisi, 1629. 
 
 GILLIFLOWER VINEGAR. Gilliflowers infused in Vinegar 
 and set in the Sun for certaine dayes, as we do for Rose 
 Vinegar do make a very pleasant and comfortable vinegar, 
 good to be used in time of contagious sickness, and very 
 profitable at all times for such as have feeble spirits. John 
 Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 To CANDY GILLIFLOWERS. Take the weight of your 
 Flowers in refin'd Sugar or sugar candy, sift it, put to it 
 some rose-water, and set it over a gentle Charcoal fire, put 
 in your Flowers, and stir them till the Sugar be of a candied 
 Height ; then keep them in a dry Place for Use. From The 
 Receipt Book of John Nott, Cook to the Duke of Bolton, 1723. 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 71 
 
 To PICKLE GILLIFLOWERS. Take the Flowers just blown, 
 take them out of the Husks, clip the white Bottoms, and 
 put them in fair water ; boil up White Wine Vinegar and 
 scum it till no more scum will rise ; let it stand by to cool ; 
 then squeeze the water out of the Gilliflowers, and put them 
 into the Vinegar; put in some broken Cinnamon, a few 
 Blades of Mace, melt some double refin'd Sugar in Rose 
 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. They 
 are a very good sauce for Lamb or Mutton. Ibid. 
 
 GILLIFLOWER SYRUP. The flowers are used. Make a 
 Syrup of five pints of boiling water poured on three pounds 
 of the flowers picked from the husks, and with the white 
 heels cut off. After they have stood twelve hours, strain 
 off the clear liquor without pressing, and dissolving in it 
 two pounds of the purest sugar to every pint. This makes 
 the most beautiful and pleasant of all Syrup. From The 
 Receipt Book of Henry Howard, Free Cook of London, 1710 ; 
 and Cook to the Duke of Ormond. 
 
 To MAKE CLOVE-GILLIFLOWER WINE. Take six Gallons 
 and a half of Spring Water, and twelve Pounds of Sugar, 
 and when it boils 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-Gilliflowers clip'd and beat, 
 stir them well together, and the next Day put six Ounces 
 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 
 Bottle. Sarah Harrison, The Housekeeper's Pocket Book, 
 1739. 
 
72 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 GROUND IVY 
 
 There are few herbs with a greater variety of names than 
 this humble, attractive little plant, which has such a sur- 
 prisingly strong aromatic scent : Gill-go-by-the-ground, 
 Lizzy-run-up-the-hedge, Cat's foot, Devil's Candlesticks, 
 Alehoof, are only a few of its local names. The ordinary 
 name, Ground Ivy, is very misleading, as it is not an ivy at 
 all. Our Saxon ancestors used Ground Ivy in their beer, 
 and hence the places where this beer was sold were called 
 Gill houses. Ground Ivy tea is a tonic much recommended 
 by many herbalists, and the herb used to be sold in the 
 London streets. 
 
 GROUND IVY TEA. One quart of boiling water poured on 
 to two handfuls of the plant when it is in flower (May and 
 June). 
 
 HERB ROBERT 
 
 The wild cranesbill herb Robert was the " geranium " 
 of the Middle Ages, and it is one of the plants described in 
 Mayster Jon Gardener's book, The Feate of Gardening the 
 earliest original English treatise on gardening the MS. of 
 which is in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge. Herb 
 Robert was one of the plants used for edging before the 
 ugly box edgings superseded the charming old borders of 
 hyssop, thyme and other herbs. 
 
 HOREHOUND 
 
 " Syrup made from the greene fresh leaves of horehound 
 and sugar is a most singular remedy against the cough and 
 wheezing of the lungs." T. Tryon, A Treatise of Cleanness 
 in Meats, 1692. 
 
 The botanical name of white horehound marrubium 
 is of Hebrew derivation, from marrob, a bitter juice. Many 
 cottagers still grow horehound in order to make horehound 
 tea and syrup themselves. Black horehound has a very 
 disagreeable smell, and it was formerly supposed to be an 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 73 
 
 antidote against the bite of a mad dog. Water horehound 
 used to be called " gipsy wort," " because the rogues and 
 runagates which name themselves Egyptians do colour 
 themselves black with this herbe." 
 
 Horehound is a hardy herbaceous perennial. It likes a 
 little shade and dry, chalky soil. Sow the seeds in March 
 or increase by dividing the roots. If increased by cuttings 
 they should be inserted in a shady border. 
 
 HOREHOUND TEA. On one ounce of the fresh leaves pour 
 one pint of boiling water and sweeten with honey. 
 
 CANDIED HOREHOUND. Boil some horehound till the 
 juice is extracted. Boil up some sugar to a feather height, 
 add your juice to the sugar, and let it boil till it is again 
 the same height. Stir it till it begins to grow thick, then 
 pour it on to a dish and dust it with sugar and when fairly 
 cool cut into squares. Excellent sweetmeat for colds and 
 coughs. R. Thornton, The Family Herbal, 1810. 
 
 HYSSOP 
 
 Our hyssop is probably not the hyssop mentioned in the 
 Bible, and the identity of that plant has never yet been 
 settled. The old mazes were frequently " sette with isope," 
 and in Knots for the Housewife's Garden two designs for 
 hyssop will be found. The young tops and flowers were 
 used in pottages and strewn on salads, and hyssop tea and 
 syrup were famous cordials. Tusser includes hyssop in his 
 list of herbs to be strewn in chambers. 
 
 Hyssop is a hardy, blue-flowered evergreen. It likes a 
 light sandy soil and not too much sun. It should be cut 
 back after flowering. Sow the seeds in March or April, or 
 increase by dividing the roots in spring or autumn. Cuttings 
 should be taken in April or May. 
 
 HYSSOP TEA. Pour one pint of boiling water on one dram 
 of the green tops. 
 
74 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 A WATER TO CAUSE AN EXCELLENT COLOUR AND COM- 
 PLEXION. Drink six spoonfuls of the juice of Hyssop in 
 warm Ale in a Morning and fasting. From The Receipt Book 
 of John Nott, Cook to the Duke of Bolton, 1723. 
 
 To MAKE SYRUP OF HYSOP FOR COLDS. Take an handful 
 of Hysop, of Figs, Raysins, Dates, of each an ounce, French 
 Barley one ounce, boyl therein three pintes of fair water 
 to a quart, strain it and clarifie it with two Whites of Eggs, 
 then put in two pound of fine Sugar and boyl it to a Syrup. 
 The Queen's Closet Opened, by W. M., Cook to Queen Henri- 
 etta Maria, 1655. 
 
 LAVENDER 
 
 " Here's your sweet lavender, 
 
 Sixteen sprigs a penny, 
 Which you will find, my ladies, 
 Will smell as sweet as any." 
 
 Old London Street Cry. 
 
 "I judge that the flowers of Lavender quilted in a cap 
 and dayly worne are good for all diseases of the head that 
 come of a cold cause and that they comfort the braine 
 very well." William Turner, A Newe Herball, 1551. 
 
 Lavender has always been grown in our English herb 
 gardens, and with the different kinds a garden of lavender 
 alone could be made. The white 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, which belonged 
 to her, there were " very great and large borders of Rosemary, 
 Rue, white Lavender and great variety of excellent herbs 
 and some choice flowers which borders, herbs, flowers . . . 
 we value to be worth 3." Gerard calls French lavender 
 Sticadove. This is L. Stczchas, which formerly grew in such 
 abundance on the islands near Hyeres that they were named 
 after the plant, the Stcechades. The Spaniards now make 
 lavender oil from this L. Stcechas by putting it in a bottle 
 of olive oil and leaving the bottle tightly closed in the sun. 
 Parkinson says that " lavender in Spain grows so abundantly 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 75 
 
 in many places, so wilde and little regarded that many have 
 gone and abiden there to dystill the oyle thereof whereof 
 great quantities now commeth over from thence unto us 
 and also from Languedoc and Provence in France." In 
 England they had formerly the charmingly dainty custom 
 of serving any small dessert fruits or sweets on lavender 
 sticks. 
 
 CONSERVE OF THE FLOWERS OF LAVENDER. Take the 
 flowers being new so many as you please, and beat them 
 with three times their weight of White Sugar, after the same 
 manner as Rosemary flowers; they will keep one year. 
 The Queen's Closet Opened, by W. M., Cook to Queen 
 Henrietta Maria, 1655. 
 
 LAVENDER WATER. Put two pounds of lavender pipps 
 in two quarts of water, put them into a cold still, and make 
 a slow fire under it; distill it off very slowly 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 off 
 slowly again; put it into bottles and cork it well. The 
 New Art of Cookery, by Richard Briggs, many years Cook 
 at the Globe Tavern, Fleet Street, the White Hart Tavern, 
 Holborn, and the Temple Coffee House, 1788. 
 
 LAVENDER WATER WITHOUT DISTILLATION. Mix one 
 pint rectified spirits, four ounces distilled water, three drams 
 oil of lavender, three drams orange-flower water, five minims 
 each of oil of cloves and oil of cinnamon and four minims 
 otto of roses. Allow this mixture to stand for a fortnight, 
 then filter through carbonate of magnesia and bottle. Keep 
 for three months before using. The Still Room of Mrs. 
 Charles Roundell. 
 
 LAVENDER TEA. One pint of boiling water poured on half 
 an ounce of the young leaves. 
 
 LAVENDER WINE, See under GILLIFLOWERS. 
 
76 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 LOVAGE 
 
 " This herbe for hys sweete savoure is used in bathe." 
 Henry Dethicke, The Gardener's Labyrinth, 1577. 
 
 Lovage was one of the herbs introduced by the Romans, 
 and until the middle of the last century it was always grown 
 in English herb gardens. It has such a quaint, old-fashioned 
 name that one regrets its exclusion from the modern herb 
 garden. One old writer tells us, it " joyeth to growe by wayes 
 and under the eaves of a house, it prospers in shadowy 
 places and loves running water." Lovage grows wild on the 
 sea-coasts in parts of Scotland and Northumberland. Par- 
 kinson says of it : " The whole plant and every part of it 
 smelleth somewhat strongly and aromatically and of a 
 hot, sharpe, biting taste. The Germans and other Nations 
 in times past used both the roote and seede instead of Pepper 
 to season their meates and brothes and found them as 
 comfortable and warming. " 
 
 Lovage seed should be sown in March in any good garden 
 soil. 
 
 LIME FLOWERS 
 
 We are a long way behind our French neighbours in our 
 appreciation of the excellent virtues of lime-flower tea. 
 Lime-leaf Water is a famous old complexion wash, and in 
 France babies are still washed in it. 
 
 LIME-FLOWER TEA. 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 seconds. 
 Leave it to infuse off the fire for a quarter of an hour and then 
 strain and sweeten. An orange leaf improves the taste. 
 
 LIME -LEAF WATER. Pour boiling water in a good handful 
 of the leaves and leave till cool and strain. 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 77 
 
 MALLOW 
 
 " For want and famine they were solitary, fleeing into 
 the wilderness . . . who cut up mallows by the bushes and 
 juniper roots for their meat." Job xxx. 3, 4. 
 
 " If thou wilt seem all inflamed or set on fire, take white 
 great mallows or hollyhocks, and anoint your body, then 
 with alum, and then brimstone, and when the fire is enflamed 
 it hurteth not, and yf thou make it upon the palme of thy 
 hande, thou shalt be able to holde ye fire without hurte." 
 The Boke of Secrets of Albertus Magnus of the vertues of 
 Herbes, Stones and certaine beastes, 1525. 
 
 " If that of health you have any special care 
 Use French Mallowes that to the body wholesome are." 
 John Gerard, The Herball, 1597. 
 
 The ancient Romans greatly esteemed mallows, and they 
 are still eaten by the Egyptians, Syrians and Chinese. From 
 the earliest times they have been celebrated for their 
 soothing, healing properties, and they were one of the 
 commonest pot and salad herbs throughout the Middle 
 Ages. It is a tradition that when the ordeal of holding a 
 red-hot iron was 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 iron for a moment. 
 
 Mallow was held to be a herb of sovereign virtue against 
 witchcraft. There is a curious old legend that Mahomet, 
 being pleased with a robe made of the fibre of mallow stalks, 
 transformed the plant into a pelargonium. Parkinson says 
 of the Venice mallow : " These flowers are so quickly faded 
 and gone that you shall hardly see any of them blowne open 
 unlesse it be betimes in the morning before the sun doth 
 grow warme upon them. For as soon as it feeleth the sunnes 
 warme heat it closeth up and never openeth againe so that 
 you shall very seldom see a flower blowne open in the day 
 time after nine o'clock in the morning. " Gerard tells us 
 of the beautiful hedges of tree-mallows, " wherewith the 
 people of Narbonne in France doe make hedges to sever or 
 divide their gardens and vineyards." Hollyhocks are of the 
 mallow tribe, and their leaves were also used as a pot-herb, 
 but, as Evelyn says, " they are only commended by some." 
 
;8 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 Mallow seeds should be sown in March ; the plants may be 
 increased by dividing the roots in spring and autumn. 
 
 A SALLET OF MALLOWES, Strip off the leaves from the 
 tender stalkes, saving the toppes : let them lye in water 
 and seethe them tender and put them in a Dish over coales, 
 with Butter and Vinegar : let them stand a while : then put 
 in grated Bread and Sugar betweene every lay. A Booke of 
 Cookerie, by Edward Allde, 1588. 
 
 SYRUP OF MARSH MALLOWS. A Decoction is made with 
 the Roots, hearbs, fruits and seeds, in sufficient quantity 
 of water, boyled to foure pints, in the which is clarified and 
 boyled to the height three pound of Sugar ; and the Syrup 
 commeth to three half pence the ounce. The Charitable 
 Physitian, by Philbert Guibert, Physitian Regent in Paris, 
 1639. 
 
 SUCKET OF MALLOW STALKS. To candy or preserve the 
 tender stalks of Mallows, do thus : Take them in the spring, 
 when they are very young and tender; and peel off the 
 strings 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 Stalks into it, whiles it is boiling hot, but taken from 
 the fire. Let them lie soaking there till the next morning. 
 Then take out the Stalks, and heat the Syrup again, scalding 
 hot, and return the Stalks into it, letting them lie there till 
 next morning; (Note, that the Stalks must never boil in 
 the Syrup). Repeat this six, or eight, or nine times, that is 
 to say till they are sufficiently Imbibed with the Syrup. 
 When they are at this pass, you may either keep them as a 
 wet Sucket in Syrup, or dry them in a Stove upon Papers, 
 turning them continually, in such sort as dried sweet-meats 
 are to be made. I like them best dry, but soft and moist 
 within. In Italy these tender Stalks of Mallows are called 
 Mazzocchi, and they eat them (boiled tender) in Salletts, 
 either hot or cold, with Vinegar and Oyl, or Butter and 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 79 
 
 Vinegar, or juyce of Oranges. The Closet of Sir Kenelm 
 Digby Opened, 1669. 
 
 To MAKE MALLOW STALKS PASS FOR GREEN PEAS. Peel 
 the Stalks and cut them in the Form of Peas, boil them in 
 a Skillet with Pepper tied up in a Rag, boil them with a 
 quick fire, drain them in a cullender, and dress them like 
 Peas with Butter, Pepper and Salt. They taste so much 
 like green Peas that they are call'd March Peas and some at 
 eating them have taken them for such. From The Receipt 
 Book of John Nott, Cook to the Duke of Bolton, 1723. 
 
 To PICKLE THE STALKS OF MARSH MALLOWS. Gather 
 them about the latter end of March. Peel off the outward 
 Peel, put them into boiling water, seasoned with Salt. Let 
 them have half a dozen Walms, take them up, drain them, 
 let them stand to cool, make a pickle of Vinegar, Salt and 
 Gross Pepper and put them into it. Ibid. 
 
 MARIGOLD 
 
 " Golde is bitter in savour, 
 
 Fayre and zelu is his flower ; 
 Ye golde flour is good to scene." 
 
 Fourteenth-Century Medical MS. 
 
 " Then with these marygolds I'll make. 
 My garland somewhat swelling." 
 
 MICHAEL DRAYTON. 
 
 " Here's flowers for you : 
 Hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram ; 
 The marigold that goes to bed wi' the Sun, 
 And with him rises weeping." 
 
 Winter's Tale, IV. iv. 
 
 " No marigolds yet closed are 
 No shadows great appeare " 
 
 HERRICK. 
 
 " Open afresh your round of starry folds, 
 
 Ye ardent marigolds 1 
 Dry up the moisture of your golden lids, 
 
 For great Apollo bids, 
 
 That in these days your praises should be sung 
 On many harps which he has lately strung ; 
 
8o A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 And when again your dewiness he kisses, 
 Tell him I have you in my world of blisses ! 
 
 So haply when I rove in some far vale, 
 His mighty voice may come upon the gale." 
 
 KEATS. 
 
 Marigolds were frequently called " golds " in olden days 
 and in Provence " gauchefer," because the flowers with 
 their golden discs were suggestive of shields which were 
 worn on the left arm they were the emblems of jealousy, 
 and Chaucer speaks of " Jealousy that werede of yelwe 
 guides a garland." It owes its botanical name, Calendula, 
 to its reputation of blossoming on the first days of every 
 month in the year. In the Boke of the Secrets of Albertus 
 Magnus we are told " the vertue of this herbe is mervelous : 
 for if it be gathered the sunne beynge in the sane Leo, in 
 August and be wrapped in the leafe of a Laurell, a baye 
 tree and a wolves tothe be added thereto, no man shall be 
 able to have a word to speake agaynst the bearer thereof, 
 but wordes of peace. And yf any thing be stolne, yf the 
 bearer of the thynges namen, laye them under hys head 
 in the night he shall se the thefe and all his condiciouns." 
 Marguerite of Valois, grandmother of Henry IV, had a 
 marigold turning towards the Sun for her device, with the 
 motto " Je ne veux suivre que lui seul." In the Tudor days 
 a bunch of marigolds and heartsease signified " happiness 
 stored in recollections." " Others name it the sunnes bride 
 and sunnes hearbe, in that the flowers of the same follow the 
 sunne, as from the rising by the south unto the west, and bye 
 a notable turning obeying to the sunne in such manner that 
 what part of heaven he possesseth, they into the same turned, 
 behold and that in a cloudie and thicke ayre like directed, 
 as they should be revived, quickened, and moved, with the 
 spirit of him. Such is ye love of it knowen to be toward 
 that royall starre." Marygolds steeped in vinegar and 
 rubbed well on the teeth and gums were " a soveraigne 
 remedie for the assuaging of the grevious paine of the 
 Teeth." Large quantities of the flowers were dried every 
 year to flavour broths and pottages throughout the winter. 
 They figured commonly in salads and conserves, and syrups 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 81 
 
 were made from them as from other flowers. Turner says, 
 " some use to make their heyre yelow wyth the floure of this 
 herbe not beyinge content wyth the natural colour which 
 God hath gyven them." Parkinson says that the single 
 kind grow wild in Spain, " from whence I received seed 
 gathered by Guillaume Boel in his time a very curious and 
 cunning searcher of simples." 
 
 MARIGOLD PUDDING. Take a pretty quantity of marygold 
 flowers very well shred, mingle with a pint of Cream or 
 New milk and almost a Pound of Beef Suet chopt very small, 
 the gratings of a Twopenny loaf and stirring all together 
 put it into a Bag flower'd and tie it fast. It will be boil'd 
 within an hour or bake in a pan. John Evelyn, Acetaria, 
 1699. 
 
 To PICKLE MARIGOLD FLOWERS. Strip the flower-leaves 
 off, when you have gather'd the flowers, at noon, or in the 
 Heat of the Day, and boil some salt and water ; and when 
 that is cold, put your marygold- flower leaves in a gallypot, 
 and pour the salt and water upon them ; then shut them up 
 close till you use them, and they will be of a fine colour and 
 much fitter for Porridge than those that are dry'd. The 
 Country Housewife and Lady's Director, 1732. 
 
 MARYGOLD WINE. To every gallon of water put two 
 pounds of sugar, let it boil for an Hour, then set it by to 
 cool; make a good brown Toast, spread it well on both 
 sides with yeast ; but before you put it in, put in an ounce 
 and half of Syrup of Citron to each gallon of Liquor, and beat 
 it well in, then put in the Toast while it is of a proper warmth 
 for working, and let it work which it will do for two Days ; 
 during which time put in your marygold flowers a little 
 bruised, but not much stamp'd, a Peck to each gallon, and 
 two Lemons slic'd with the Rinds to each gallon; add a 
 pint of White or Rhenish Wine to each gallon, and let it 
 stand two Days, then tun it up in a sweet Cask. From 
 The Receipt Book of Charles Carter, Cook to the Duke of 
 Argyll, 1732 
 
 G 
 
82 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 MARJORAM 
 
 " Clown. Indeed, Sir, she was the sweet marjoram of the 
 Salad, or rather the herb of grace." All's Well that Ends 
 Well, IV. v. 
 
 Venus is supposed to have been the first to raise sweet 
 marjoram. Wild marjoram, according to tradition, was 
 once a youth in the service of King Cinyras of Cyprus. 
 One day he was carrying a vase of perfumes which he 
 dropped, and in his terror he lost consciousness and finally 
 became metamorphosed into this sweet herb. The botanical 
 name, origanum, means " Joy of the Mountain," and one 
 cannot imagine a more appropriate name for this fragrant 
 plant. One old herbalist tells us that to smell wild marjoram 
 frequently keeps a person in good health. The ancient 
 Greeks believed that if marjoram grew on a tomb the dead 
 person was happy ; " may many flowers grow on this tomb, 
 violets, and marjoram and the narcissus growing in water, 
 and around Thee may all Roses grow/' was an old prayer. 
 
 Marjoram was one of the strewing herbs, and it was always 
 put into the sweet-bags for the linen. 
 
 Marjorams love sun, and they cannot have too much of 
 it. They like a light, dry soil. Sow seeds of marjoram 
 in March or April, and increase by dividing the roots or 
 taking slips any time during the spring or autumn. Sweet 
 Marjoram can only be grown from seed as it is only an 
 annual. 
 
 A CONSERVE OF MARJORAM. Take the tops and tenderest 
 parts of Sweet Marjoram, bruise it well in a wooden Mortar 
 or Bowl ; take double the weight of Fine Sugar, boil it with 
 Marjoram Water till it is as thick as Syrup, then put in your 
 beaten marjoram. From The Receipts of John Nott, Cook 
 to the Duke of Bolton, 1723. 
 
 WILD MARJORAM TEA. One pint of boiling water poured 
 on a good handful of the young leaves and flowering tops of 
 wild marjoram. The wild marjoram has a pungent taste, 
 warmer than that of sweet or pot marjoram. 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 83 
 
 MEADOWSWEET 
 
 " Queen Elizabeth of famous memory did more desire it 
 than any other sweet herbe to strew her chambers 
 withal." John Parkinson, The Theatre of Plants, 1640. 
 
 Bridewort was one of the old names of this beautiful flower, 
 and it was formerly one of the wedding herbs. " Queen of 
 the meadow " is another of its appropriate names, and 
 children nearly always call it this. Gerard tells us that 
 " the leaves and flowers excel all other strong herbes for to 
 deck up houses to strew in chambers, halls, and banqueting 
 houses, in the summer time ; for the smell thereof makes the 
 heart merrie and delight eth the senses." A little meadow- 
 sweet gives an excellent flavour to soup, and there are still 
 numbers of country folk in England who dry a quantity 
 of it every year to make an infusion of it for colds. 
 
 MEADOWSWEET TEA. A quart of boiling water poured 
 on an ounce of the fresh or dried leaves and flowering tops. 
 
 MINT 
 
 " Eat Betoyne and Mynts prepared in honey, use herbs 
 grace in thy Wine." April, Ram's Little Dodoen, 1606. 
 
 Mint takes its name from Minthe, who was loved by Pluto. 
 This nymph was metamorphosed by Pluto's wife, Prosperine, 
 with the herb called after her. Henry Dethicke, in the 
 Gardener's Labyrinth, gives some curious advice to the 
 gardener who cannot procure the garden mint. " Let him 
 plant the seed of the wild mint, setting the sharper ends 
 of the seeds downwards, whereby to tame and put away 
 the wildness of them." In France mint was called " Menthe 
 de Notre Dame," and in Italy " Erbe Santa Maria." The 
 cultivated herb is said to have been introduced into England 
 by the Romans. All the different varieties have the quality 
 of preventing milk from curdling, and for this reason 
 herbalists recommend them to people who are put on to a 
 milk diet. Formerly they were one of the herbs strewn in 
 churches, and they were also used in baths. Culpepper 
 
84 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 records the curious old belief that if a wounded man eats 
 mint he will 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 have early mint make a small hot- 
 bed in January with two feet of manure with six inches of 
 good earth on top. Plant the roots closely. They will 
 be up in about a fortnight. If only 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. 
 
 Mintes put into milk, it neyther suffereth the same to 
 curde, nor to become thick, insomuch that layed in curded 
 milke, this would bring the same thinne againe. The Good 
 Housewife's Handmaid, 1588. 
 
 To MAKE SYRUP OF MINT. Take a quart of the Syrup 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 The Receipt Book of John Nott, Cook to the 
 Duke of Bolton, 1723. 
 
 MINT WATER. 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 alembick with a quick fire, sweeten- 
 ing it with sugar in your receiver. Ibid. 
 
 PEPPER-MINT WATER. Take Pepper-mint six handfuls, 
 cut it a little, and infuse it two Days in six quarts of clean 
 Spirit ; then draw it off in a cold Still, marking every Bottle, 
 as it fills, with a number, for the first Bottle will be far the 
 strongest, the second less strong, and the third weaker than 
 the second ; and so as we draw off more, they will be still 
 weaker till at last it becomes almost insipid, and somewhat 
 sourish, but take none of that ; then cover the mouth of 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 85 
 
 your Bottles with Papers prick'd full of Holes, and let 
 them stand a Day or two ; then pour your first Bottle 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 become of a sufficient strength ; then put them in Bottles 
 with a knob or two of double refin'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 Top 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 sort of Mint, shoot along the surface of the 
 ground, and so at the joints, strike root, which is contrary 
 to other sorts of Mint, which shoot their Runners under 
 ground. R. Bradley, The Country Housewife's and Lady's 
 Director, 1732. 
 
 CAT-MINT TEA. A pint of boiling water poured on the 
 young leaves and flowering tops. 
 
 MUGWORT 
 
 " Eldest of worts 
 Thou hast might for three 
 And against thirty. 
 For venom availest 
 For flying vile things, 
 Mighty gainst loathed ones 
 That through the land rove." 
 
 Saxon MS. Herbal (Harleian), 1585. 
 
 " If they would drink nettles in March 
 
 And eat mugwort in May, 
 So many fine maidens 
 
 Wouldn't go to the clay." 
 
 Old Proverb. 
 
 " Yf this herbe be within a house there shall no wycked 
 spyryte abyde." A Crete Hevball, 1539. 
 
 " If a Footman take mugwort and put it into his shoes 
 in the morning, he may goe forty miles before Noon and 
 not be weary." William Coles, The Art of Simpling, 1656. 
 
86 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 In Italy the peasants still use mugwort to know if a sick 
 person will recover. They put it under his pillow without 
 telling him, and if he goes to sleep it means he will recover. 
 If he lies awake it is a sure sign he will die. Nearly every- 
 where on the Continent mugwort is called the herb of St. 
 John the Baptist. Lupton, in his Notable Things, relates 
 this superstition. "It is commonly affirmed that on mid- 
 summer eve, there is found under the root of mugwort a 
 cold which keeps safe from the Plague, carbuncle, lightning, 
 and the quartan ague, them that bear the same about them, 
 and Mizaldus, the writer hereof, saith that it is to .be found 
 the same day under the root of Plaint ain, which I know for 
 a truth, for I have found them the same day under the root 
 of Plaintain, which is especially and chiefly to be found at 
 noon." The following is an old Russian legend about 
 mugwort : In the district of Starodubsk, 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 fell 
 into a deep pit, which was the abode of the serpents. The 
 pit was dark, but at the bottom she found a luminous stone ; 
 the 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 themselves 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 medicinal properties, on the condition that 
 she should never name the Mugwort, or Tchornobil (that 
 which was black) ; if she pronounced that word, she would 
 forget all that she had come to know. The 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 side of the little footpaths ? " Taken by 
 surprise, the girl replied, "Tchornobil; " and at the same 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 87 
 
 moment all her knowledge forsook her. From that time, 
 it is said, the Mugwort obtained the additional name of 
 Zabytko, or the Herb of Forget fulness. Sir John Hill says 
 of this herb : " The leaves and tops of the young shoots 
 and flowers in this plant are all full of virtue, they are 
 aromatic to the taste with a little sharpness. The herb has 
 been famous from the earliest time, and Providence has 
 placed it everywhere about our doors so that reason, and 
 authority, as well as the notice of our senses, point it out 
 for use, but chemistry has banished natural medicines." 
 
 MUGWORT TEA. One pint of boiling water poured on to 
 an ounce of the flowering tops. 
 
 MULLEIN 
 
 " It is a plant whereof is made a manner of lynke (torch) 
 if it be tallowed." Gerard, The Crete Herball, 1597. 
 
 In the Irish papers one frequently sees advertisements for 
 the mullein leaves, in whose healing properties, especially for 
 chest complaint, the peasants have the utmost faith, but in 
 England it is a much neglected herb. Gerard tells us the 
 old story of Circe using mullein in her incantations, and 
 formerly the plant was often called " Hag-taper." 
 
 The Romans used to dip the stalk in suet and burn them 
 as torches, and it is said this was also done in England. 
 The Romans valued mullein highly for chest troubles, and 
 they are supposed to have taught the English the use of it. 
 
 MULLEIN MILK. Boil a handful of the leaves in a pint of 
 milk for ten minutes, then strain and drink hot. 
 
 NETTLE 
 
 " He that holdeth this herbe in hys hand with an herbe 
 called Mylfoyle, or noseblede is sure from all feare and 
 fantasye or vysion and yf it be put with the juyce of house- 
 lyke, and the bearers hande be anpynted with it, and the 
 residue be put in water if he enter in ye water where fyshes 
 be, they will gather together to hys handes. And yf hys 
 hande be drawen forth they will leape agayne to theyr 
 
88 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 owne places where they were before." The Boke of the 
 Secrets ofAlbertits Magnus. 
 
 " The flower of the dead nettle is like a weasell's face." 
 
 W. Coles, The Art of Simpling. 
 
 One of the varieties of nettle (urtica pilulifera) is said to 
 have been introduced into England by the Roman soldiers 
 who brought the seed of it with them. The tradition is 
 that they were told the climate of England was so terrible 
 that it was scarcely endurable, so they sowed these seeds 
 in order to have a plentiful supply of nettles wherewith 
 to rub their bodies and so to keep them warm. In 
 Scandinavian mythology nettles are sacred to Thor, 
 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 number of insects. It is the only food of the 
 caterpillars of three of our most beautiful butterflies the 
 Atalanta, Paphia and Urticae, and the principal food of a 
 fourth, 16. Whipping with nettles was formerly strongly 
 recommended for rheumatism. The bags of " 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 the garden. Their value as 
 a green food is well known to poultry fanciers. One of the 
 best-known exhibitors in England has such a high opinion 
 of the value of nettles that for the prize stock large quantities 
 of nettles are dried in order that the birds may be supplied 
 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 mash. Nettles are 
 good for poultry at any time, but they are only good for 
 human consumption during the early spring months. They 
 should never be eaten when they have gone to seed. 
 
 NETTLE TEA. One quart of boiling water poured on to 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 89 
 
 five large handfuls of the young tops and left to infuse 
 for several hours. 
 
 NETTLE SPINACH. Boil the young nettle tops in as little 
 water as possible, and when sufficiently cooked rub through 
 a sieve. 
 
 NASTURTIUM 
 
 One does not think of nasturtiums as a herb, but they 
 are included in old gardening lists as such. Some people 
 make use of the young leaves in salad, but for some unknown 
 reason we have abandoned the custom of adding the flowers 
 to our salads. They taste very much like the leaves, only 
 a little more delicate, and there is always a little drop of 
 honey in them. Pickled in vinegar the seeds make a good 
 substitute for capers. 
 
 To PICKLE NASTURTIUM SEEDS. Gather your little knobs 
 quickly after your blossoms are off ; put them in cold water 
 and salt for three days, shifting them once a day; then 
 make a pickle (but do not boil it at all) of some white wine, 
 exchallot, horse-radish, pepper, salt, cloves, and mace whole 
 and nutmeg quartered; then put in your seeds and stop 
 them close ; they are to be eaten as capers. E. Smith, The 
 Complete Housewife, 1736. 
 
 PARSLEY 
 
 " If you will have the leaves of the parcelye grow crisped, 
 then before the sowing of them stuffe a tennis ball with the 
 sedes and beat the same well against the ground whereby 
 the seedes may be a little bruised or when the parcelye 
 is well come up go over the bed with a waighty roller 
 whereby it may so presse the leaves down or else tread the 
 same downe under thy feet." A Crete Herball, 1539. 
 
 Hercules is said to have selected parsley to form the first 
 garlands he wore. The Greeks had a great veneration for 
 parsley, and of it the victor's crown was made at the 
 Isthmian games ; and Grecian gardens were often bordered 
 with parsley, and rue, and sprigs of this herb were strewn 
 on the dead. Canon Ellacombe says that parsley has the 
 
90 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 curious botanic history that no one can tell what is its 
 native country. " Probably the plant has been so altered 
 by cultivation as to have lost all likeness to its original 
 self." It is said that Charlemagne having once tasted a 
 cheese flavoured with parsley seeds, ordered two cases of 
 these cheeses to be sent to him yearly. 
 
 Dethicke gives the amateur gardener this advice : "To 
 make the seedes appear more quickly steep them in vinegar 
 and strew the bed with the ashes of bean-water with the 
 best aqua vitce, and then cover the beds with a piece of 
 woolen cloth, and the plants will begin to appear 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 southern 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 would bring mis- 
 fortune on every one in the house. It is said that parsley 
 seed goes seven times to the Devil and back before it ger- 
 minates, and that is why it is so slow in coming up ! 
 
 Formerly parsley roots were much eaten, and the young 
 roots are still recommended by modern herbalists. 
 
 A SAUCE FOR A ROSTED RABBIT USED TO KING HENRY 
 THE EIGHT. Take a handfull of washed Percely, mince it 
 small, boyle it with butter and verjuice upon a chafing-dish, 
 season it with suger and a little pepper grosse beaten; 
 when it is ready put in a fewe crummes of white bread 
 amongst the other : let it boyle againe till it be thicke, then 
 laye it in a platter, like the breadth of three fingers, laye of 
 each side one rested conny and so serve them. The Treasurie 
 of Hidden Secrets and Commodious Conceits, by John Part- 
 ridge, 1586. 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 91 
 
 PLANTAIN 
 
 " And thou waybroad (plantain) 
 Mother of worts 
 Open from eastward 
 
 Mighty within ; 
 Over thee carts creaked 
 
 Over thee queens rode 
 
 Over thee brides bridalled 
 
 Over thee bulls breathed. 
 All these thou withstood st 
 And with stound stayedst 
 As thou withstoodst 
 
 Venom and vile things 
 And all the loathly ones 
 
 That through the land rove." 
 
 Saxon MS. Herbal. 
 
 The plantain is said to have been once a maiden who, 
 after constantly watching the roadway for her lover, was 
 changed into this plant which still clings to the roadside. 
 It has frequently been pointed out that wherever the 
 English flag is carried the plantain in an incredibly 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 broade " (a much more 
 appropriate name than plantain), it has always been highly 
 valued. A tea made from its leaves is excellent, and both 
 Chaucer and Shakespeare refer to its use for healing wounds. 
 The young leaves were formerly used in salad, and the 
 seeds, being very mucilaginous, are a good substitute for 
 linseed. 
 
 Canaries are very fond of plantain seed. 
 
 PLANTAIN TEA. One quart of boiling water poured on 
 to two large handfuls of the young leaves and left to infuse 
 several hours. 
 
 To REMEDY THE FEETE THAT ARE SORE WITH TRAVELLING. 
 Take Plantaine and stampe it well, and anoynt your 
 feete with the juice thereof and the greefe will swage. The 
 Good Housewife's Handmaid, 1588. 
 
93 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 PURSLANE 
 
 " Lord, I confess too when I dine 
 
 The pulse is thine 
 And all those other bits that be 
 
 There placed by Thee. 
 The worts, the purselain, and the mess 
 Of Water Cress." 
 
 HERRICK. 
 
 Purslane, which we so seldom use now even in salads, 
 was formerly recommended for a vast number of diseases, 
 including teeth set on edge, " flashings 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 in May. They should not be transplanted. 
 The leaves are generally ready to be gathered six weeks 
 after planting the seeds. Green purslane is hardier than 
 golden purslane. 
 
 PRESERVED PURSLANE. This for a dainty dish, with 
 many served first at the table in the winter time, preserved 
 after this manner, the greatest stemmes and leaves of the 
 Purslane without rootes were gathered and these wyth 
 water thoroughly cleansed from the fyne sands, hanging on 
 and the filthe and corrupt leaves, if any such were, clean 
 purged away, and these so long they dryed until they were 
 somewhat withered. Then were they infused in verjuice 
 made of soure grapes strewed thicke over wyth green fennell 
 bestowed in an earthen pot glasd within or for the lacke of it 
 in a sweete vessel of woode, after this the whole sprinkled 
 well over wyth salte, laying green fennell again over the 
 salte, and sundry courses of Purslane, with salt and fennell 
 bestowed to the filling up of the pot and over the upper 
 bed of the Purslane againe a thicke course of greene fennell 
 strewed, whiche settled the whole mixture downe into the 
 pot. This being done, the verjuice was poured upon in 
 such order so full that the same reached uppe to the brimme 
 or lippe of the vessell. The same pickle or sauce close 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 93 
 
 covered with a lid was set up again in a dry place to be 
 preserved far from the beames of the Sun coming; when 
 they served it at the table they cleansed it with sweet wine, 
 pouring sweet oyle on the purslane. They set it as a first 
 dish on the table to procure an appetite afore the guests 
 sette downe to meate. Henry Dethicke, The Gardener s 
 Labyrinth. 
 
 PICKLED PURSLANE. Lay the stalks in an earthen pan ; 
 then cover them with Beer Vinegar and water, keeping them 
 down with a competent weight to imbibe three days. Being 
 taken out put them into a pot with as much white-wine 
 vinegar as will cover them again and close the Lid with 
 paste (made with flour and water) to keep in the steam; 
 then set them on the Fire for three or four hours, often 
 shaking and stirring them. Then open the Cover and turn, 
 and remove those stalks which be at the Bottom to the 
 Top and boil them as before till they are all of a colour. 
 When all is cold pot them with fresh white-wine vinegar, 
 and so you may preserve them the whole year round. 
 John Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 To PICKLE PURSLANE. Put your Purslane stalks into 
 as much wine as water, with a little salt. Then boil it, put 
 it into a Pot, and pour in as much white-wine vinegar as 
 will cover it ; if you please you may add sugar to your 
 white wine. From The Receipt Book of John Nott, Cook to 
 the Duke of Bolton, 1723. 
 
 To MAKE SALLET OF PURSLANE. Take it when it is young, 
 and pick it very well, and wash it, and swing it, and then lay 
 it upon a Plate garnished with the slices of Lemon, or with 
 all sorts of herbs at your own discretion. Ibid. 
 
 A SALLET OF LETTICE AND PURSLAN. Take of the newest 
 Purslan, pick and wash it very well, swing it out, and lay it 
 in the round of the Plate, and Lettice round about it, 
 garnish the brims with Charvile and Flowers hashed together 
 
94 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 of divers colours, very small. A Perfect School of In- 
 structions for the Officers of the Month, by Giles Rose, one of 
 the Master Cooks to Charles II, 1682. 
 
 A PURSLANE SOUP. When your Purslane is young, you 
 need only cut the spriggs off, but keep their whole length, 
 boil them in a small kettle, with some Pease-soup and 
 Onion Juice, both of the same quantity, when your Purse- 
 lane is boiled enough, soak some crusts in some Broth; 
 when soaked, dish it, garnish it with the said Purslane, let 
 the Broth be relishing, pour it over, and serve it up hot. 
 The Modern Cook to Vincent La Chapelle, Cook to the Prince 
 of Orange, 1744. 
 
 RAMPION 
 
 John Evelyn recommends 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 boyled and stewed with butter and oyle and some black 
 or long pepper cast on them." Major Kenny Herbert 
 recommends rampion leaves prepared like spinach. Un- 
 fortunately if one wishes to eat the roots, the plants must 
 not be allowed to flower, and it is so beautiful that this 
 seems a foolish sacrifice. Distilled water of rampion was 
 highly esteemed as a complexion beautifier. 
 
 If the roots are wanted, rampion should not be sown 
 before the end of May. They like a light soil and a shady 
 border, and they do not bear transplanting unless very 
 carefully done. The roots are fit for use in November. 
 
 ROCKET 
 
 " Whosoever taketh the seed of Rocket before he be 
 whipt, shall be so hardened that he shall easily endure the 
 paines." John Gerard, The Herball, 1597. 
 
 Galen forbade the eating of lettuce without purslane, or 
 lettuce without rocket, or rocket without purslane or lettuce. 
 Formerly one of the rockets was in common use as a salad 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 95 
 
 herb, but few of the old herbalists have much to say in its 
 favour. Turner recommends the seed as being efficacious 
 " against the bitings of the shrew-mouse and other venemous 
 beasts." Folkard tells us that the London Rocket first 
 appeared in the metropolis in the spring succeeding the 
 Great Fire of London, when young rockets were seen every- 
 where among the ruins, where they increased so marvel- 
 lously that in the summer the enormous crop crowding over 
 the surface of London " created the greatest astonishment 
 and wonder." 
 
 ROSE 
 
 " Let us crown ourselves with Roses before they be 
 withered." Wisdom, II. i. 
 
 " Dry roses put to the nose to smell do comfort the 
 brayne and the herte and quickeneth the spyryte." 
 R. Banckes, The Crete Herball, 1525. 
 
 " Of their sweet death are sweetest odours made." 
 SHAKESPEARE. 
 
 " Rose I Thou art the fondest child 
 Of dimpled spring the wood nymph wild." 
 
 THOMAS MOORE. 
 
 Our ancestors prized the rose above all for its sweet scent, 
 and in spite of the magnificence 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 roses 
 and sweet-briar, are the only roses for a herb garden. 
 England's association with the rose is of very ancient date, 
 for did not Pliny doubt whether the country was called 
 Albion from the white cliffs, or the white roses which grew 
 here in such glorious abundance ? Like gillyflowers, another 
 favourite with our ancestors of the Middle Ages, roses were 
 often accepted as quit rent. In 1576 the Bishop of Ely 
 granted to Sir Christopher Hatton the greater portion of 
 Ely House, Holborn, on condition that the latter paid yearly 
 a red rose, and the Bishop had also the right of free access 
 to the garden with the privilege of gathering twenty bushels 
 of roses every year. The Baillee des Roses existed in France 
 
96 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 till the end of the sixteenth century. It consisted of a 
 tribute of roses which had to be given by the peers of France 
 to the Parlement. Each peer in turn had to see that the 
 rooms of the palace were strewed with roses, flowers and 
 sweet herbs. As he went through the rooms a large silver 
 bowl was carried before him, and in it were crowns of roses 
 for every member of the Parlement. Parkinson says that 
 the double yellow rose was " first procured to be brought 
 into England by Master Nicholas Lete, 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 him and with all other to 
 whom he imparted it ; yet afterwards it was sent to Master 
 John de Franqueille, a Merchant also of London, and a 
 great lover of all rare plants, as well as flowers, from which 
 is sprung the greatest store that is now flourishing in this 
 kingdom." Sir John Hill tells us that nothing equals the 
 sweetness 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 juice 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 
 cakes. I have given one receipt for a cake so flavoured. 
 See " To bake a cake after the way of the Royal Princess, 
 the Lady Elizabeth, daughter to King Charles the First." 
 
 To MAKE SIROP OF ROSES OR VIOLETS. Take of violets 
 or roses a pounde, steepe them in three pints of warme water, 
 put it in an earthen pot with a narrow mouth the space of 
 seven houres or more, after, straine it, and warme the water 
 againe, and put in againe so many Roses or Violets, and 
 likewise let them lye in steepe eight houres, and thus do at 
 the least five times, the oftener the better, in especiall the 
 roses, and after take to every pint a pounde of sugar and 
 steepe them together, till the sugar be molten, then seethe 
 them together with a soft sweet fire to the height of a 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 97 
 
 Sirrup : if you have more Roses or Violets, or fewer, and 
 let so much be the proportion of the water, according to 
 the proportion before. The Good Housewife's Handmaid, 
 1585- 
 
 DAMASK ROSE SYRUP. Pour boiling water on a quantity 
 of Damask roses just enough to cover them. Let them 
 stand four-and-twenty hours. Then press off the liquor 
 and add to it twice the quantity of sugar. Melt this, and 
 the syrup is completed. T. Tryon, A Treatise of Cleanness 
 in Meates, 1692. 
 
 HONEY OF ROSES. Cut the white heels from Red Roses, 
 take half a pound of them and put them into a stone jar, 
 and pour on them three pints of boiling water. Stir well 
 and let them stand twelve hours. Then press off the 
 liquor, and when it has settled add to it five pounds of 
 honey. Boil it well, and when it is of the consistence of a 
 thick syrup it is ready to put away. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE VINEGAR OF ROSES. In summer time when 
 roses blowe, gather them, ere they be full spred or blowne 
 out, and in drie weather, pluck the leaves, let them lie half 
 a day upon a faire borde, then have a vessel with vinegar 
 of one or two gallons (if you will make so much Roset), 
 put therein a great quantitie of ye said leaves, stop the 
 vessel 1 close after you have styrred them wel together, let 
 it stand a day and a night, then divide your Vinegar and 
 Rose leaves together in two parts, put them in two great 
 glasses, set them upon a shelfe under a wall side, on the 
 south side without your house, where the sunne maye come 
 to them the most part of the day, let them stand there all 
 the whole summer long; and then strain the Vinegar from 
 the Roses and keep the Vinegar. If you do once in ten 
 days take and straine out the rose leaves and put in new 
 leaves of half a dayes gathering the Vinegar will have the 
 more favour and odour of the Rose. 
 
 You may use in steade of Vinegar wine that it may wax 
 egre and receive the virtue of the Roses, both at once. 
 
 H 
 
98 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 Moreover you make your Vinegar of wine, white, red or 
 claret. This is Vinegar Roset. John Partridge, The 
 Treasurie of Hidden Secrets and Commodious Conceits, 1586. 
 
 To MAKE CONSERVE OF ROSES OR OTHER FLOWERS. 
 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 leaves 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 well beaten, and grind them together till they be per- 
 fectly incorporated, then put in a glass 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 of 
 flowers used thereunto. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE OYLE OF ROSES. Take of oyle eighteen ounces, 
 the buds of Roses (the white ends of them cut away) three 
 ounces, lay the Roses abroad in the shadow four and twenty 
 houres, then put them in a glass to the oyle, and stop the 
 glass close ; and set it in the sunne at least forty dayes. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE OYNTMENT OF ROSES. Take oyle of Roses 
 four ounces, white wax one ounce, melt them together over 
 seething water, then chafe them together with Rose-water 
 and a little white vinegar. Ibid. 
 
 ROSES AND GILLYFLOWERS KEPT LONG. Cover a Rose 
 that is fresh, and in the bud, and gathered in a faire day 
 after the dew is ascended, with the whites of eggs well 
 beaten, and presently strew thereon the fine powder of 
 searced sugar, and put them up in luted pots, setting the 
 pots in a coole place in sand or gravell : with a fillip at any 
 time you may shake off this inclosure. Sir Hugh Platt, 
 Delights for Ladies, 
 
 How TO DRY ROSE LEAVES, OR ANY OTHER SINGLE 
 FLOWERS WITHOUT WRINKLING, If you would performe the 
 same wel in rose leaves, you must in rose time make choice 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 99 
 
 of such roses as are neither in the bud, nor full blowne 
 (for these have the smoothest leaves of all other), which 
 you must especially cull and chuse from 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 six inches deepe, make 
 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 make 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 commonly in two hot sunny dayes they will bee 
 thorow dry), then take them out carefully with your hand 
 without breaking. Keepe these leaves in Jarre glasses, 
 bound about, with paper, neere a chimney, or stove, for 
 feare of relenting. I finde the red Rose leafe best to be 
 kept in this manner ; also take away the stalkes of pansies, 
 stock gillyflowers, or other single flowers ; pricke them one 
 by one in sand, pressing downe theire leaves smooth with 
 more sand laid evenly upon them. And thus you may have 
 Rose leaves, and other flowers to lay about your basons, 
 windows, etc., all the winter long. Also this secret is very 
 requisite for a good simplifier, because hee may dry the 
 leaf of any herb in this manner; and lay it, being dry, in 
 his herbal with the simple which it represent eth, whereby 
 he may easily learne to know the names of all simples 
 which he desireth. Ibid. 
 
 TO DRY ROSE LEAVES IN A MOST EXCELLENT MAN- 
 NER. When you have newly taken out your bread, then put 
 in your Roses in a sieve, first clipping away the whites that 
 they may be all of one colour, lay 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 remaine without stirring, till the uppermost of 
 them bee fully dried : then stirre them together, and leave 
 them about one other halfe houre : and if you finde them 
 
ioo A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 dry in the top, stirre them together againe, and so con- 
 tinue this worke, until they bee thorowly dried : then put 
 them hot as they are into an earthen pot having a narrow 
 mouth, and being well leaded within (the Refiners of gold 
 and silver call these pots Hookers) : stop it with corke and 
 wet parchment, or with wax and rosin mixed together; 
 and hang your pot in a chimney, or near a continuall fire, 
 and so they will keepe exceeding faire in colour, and most 
 delicate in sent. And if you feare their relenting, take the 
 Rose leaves about Candelmas, and put them once againe 
 into a sieve, stirring them up and downe often till they be 
 dry : and then put them againe hot into your pot. Ibid. 
 
 A SINGULAR MANNER OF MAKING THE SlRUP OF ROSES. 
 
 Fill 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 bake 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 Rose : then take out those 
 leaves, wringing out all their liquor gently, and steepe more 
 fresh leaves in the same water : continue this iteration 
 seven times, and then make it up in a sirup : and this sirup 
 worketh more kindely than that which is made meerly of 
 the juice of the Rose. You may make sundry other sirups 
 in this manner. Ibid. 
 
 ANOTHER WAY FOR THE DRYING OF ROSE LEAVES. 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 
 glasses in warme places; and thus you may keepe all 
 flowers : but herbs, after they are dried in this manner, 
 are best kept in paper bags, placing the bags in close 
 cupboards. Ibid. 
 
 HOW TO PRESERVE WHOLE ROSES, GILLYFLOWERS, MARI- 
 GOLDS, ETC. Dip a Rose that is neither in the bud, nor 
 overblowne, in a sirup, consisting of sugar, double refined, 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 101 
 
 and Rose-water boiled to his full height, then open the leaves 
 one by one with a fine smooth bodkin either of bone or wood ; 
 and presently if it be a hot sunny day, and whilest the sunne 
 is in some good height, lay them on papers in the sunne, or 
 else dry them with some gentle heat in a close roome, heating 
 the room before you set them in or in an oven upon papers, 
 in pewter dishes, and then put them up in glasses; and 
 keepe them in dry cupboards neere the fire : you must take 
 out the seeds, if you meene to eat them. You may proove 
 this preserving with sugar-candy instead of sugar if you 
 please. Ibid. 
 
 ROSE-WATER AND ROSE-VINEGAR OF THE COLOUR OF 
 THE ROSE, AND OF THE COWSLIP, AND VlOLET VlNEGAR. If 
 you would make your Rose-water and Rose-vinegar, of a 
 Rubie colour, then make choyce of the crimson-velvet 
 coloured leaves, clipping away the whites with a paire of 
 sheers : and being thorow dryed, put a good large handfull 
 of them into a pint of Damask or red Rose-water : stop 
 your glasse well, and set it in the sunne, till you see that 
 the leaves have lost their colour : or, for more expedition 
 you may performe this worke in balneo in a few hours; 
 and when you take out the old leaves you may put in fresh, 
 till you finde the colour to please you. Keepe this Rose- 
 water in the glasses very well stopt ; the fuller the better. 
 What I have said of Rose-water, the same may also be 
 intended of Rose- vinegar, violet, marigold and cowslip 
 vinegar : but the whiter vinegar you chuse for this purpose, 
 the colour thereof will bee the brighter : and therefore 
 distilled vinegar is best for this purpose. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE SUGAR OF ROSES. Take the deepest-coloured 
 red Roses, pick them, cut off the white buttons and dry 
 your red leaves in an oven, till they be as dry as possible, 
 then beat them to powder, and searse them, then take a 
 halfe pound of sugar beaten fine, put it into your pan with 
 as much fair water as will wet it, then set it in a chafing 
 dish of coals and let it boyle till it be sugar again; then 
 
102 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 put as much powder of the Roses as will make it look very 
 red, stir them well together, and when it is almost cold, 
 put it into pales, and when it is thoroughly cold, take them 
 off, and put them in boxes. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE LOZINGES OF RED ROSES. Boyl your sugar to 
 sugar again, then put in your red Roses, being finely beaten 
 and made moist with the juyce of a Lemon ; let it not boyl 
 after the Roses are in, but pour it upon a Pye plate and cut 
 it in what form you please. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE A TART OF HIPS. Take hips, cut them and take 
 out the seeds very clean, then wash them and season them 
 with sugar, cinnamon and ginger, close the tart, bake it, 
 scrape on sugar and serve it in. The Art and Mystery of 
 Cookery Approved by the Fifty-five Years' Experience and 
 Industry of Robert May, 1671. 
 
 To CANDY ROSE LEAVES AS NATURAL AS IF THEY GROW 
 ON TREES. Take of your fairest Rose leaves, Red or Da- 
 mask, and on a sunshine day sprinkle them with Rose-water, 
 lay them on one by one on a fair paper, then take some 
 double refined sugar beaten very fine, put it in a fine lawne 
 searse when you have laid abroad all the rose leaves in the 
 hottest of the sun, searse sugar thinly all over them and 
 anon the sun will candie the sugar; then turn the leaves 
 and searse sugar on the other side, and turn them often in 
 the sun, sometimes sprinkling Rose-water and sometimes 
 searsing sugar on them, until they be enough, and come to 
 your liking, and, being thus done, you may keep them. 
 William Rabisha, The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected, 
 1675- 
 
 MUSK ROSE-WATER. Take two handfuls of your Musk 
 Rose-leaves, put them into about a quart of fair water and 
 a quarter of a pound of sugar and finish this as you did your 
 Jeseme water. (See Jasmine water in Chapter X.) Ibid. 
 
 CONSERVE OF RED ROSES. Doctor Glisson makes his 
 conserve of red roses thus : Boil gently a pound of red Rose- 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 103 
 
 leaves in about a pint and a halfe (or a little more, as by 
 discretion you shall find fit, after having done it once; 
 The Doctor's Apothecary takes two pints) of Spring water; 
 till the water have drawn out all the Tincture of the Roses 
 into it self and that the leaves be very tender, and looke 
 pale like Linnen ; which may be in good half hour, or an hour, 
 keeping the pot covered while it boileth. 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-refined sugar in small powder ; 
 which as soon as it is dissolved put in a second pound ; then 
 a third, lastly a fourth, so 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 syrup, very near a candy height (as high as 
 it 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 immediately upon the taking it off the fire. But presently 
 take it from the fire, and stir them 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 
 pots, while it is yet throughly warm, and leave them un- 
 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 moulding till you 
 break the candied crust, to take out some of the conserve. 
 The 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 
 easie to digest in the stomack without clogging it, as doth 
 the ordinary rough conserve made of raw Roses beaten 
 with sugar, which is very rough in the throat. The Closet 
 of Sir Kenelm Digby Opened, 1669. 
 
 To MAKE WAFERS. Put the yolks of four eggs, and three 
 Spoonfuls of Rose-water, to a quart of flour; mingle them 
 
104 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 well, make them into a Batter with cream and double- 
 refined sugar, pour it on very thin, and bake it on Irons. 
 From The Receipt Book of John Nott, Cook to the Duke of 
 Bolton, 1723. 
 
 To MAKE CONSERVE OF RED ROSES. Let your Roses be 
 gather 'd before they are quite blown, pound them in a stone- 
 mortar, and add to them twice their weight in double- 
 refined sugar, and put them into a glass close stopt up, 
 but do not fill it full. Let them stand three months before 
 you use them, remembring to stir them once a Day. Ibid. 
 
 To DRY OR KEEP ROSES. 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 they are pretty dry, let a 
 large Still be made warm, and lay them on the Top 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 
 thoroughly dry'd, press them down into a Earthen Pan, 
 and keep close cover'd. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE CONSERVE OF ROSE HIPS. Gather the hips 
 before they grow soft, 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 earthen pan, and stir 
 them every day else they will 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; then add 
 its weight in sugar, and mix it well together without boiling ; 
 keeping it in deep gallipots for use. E. Smith, The 
 Complete Housewife, 1736. 
 
 To MAKE ROSE-DROPS. The 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 juice of Lemon 
 as will make it into a stiff paste ; set it on a slow fire in a 
 silver porringer, and stir it well, and when it is scalding 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 105 
 
 hot quite through take it off and drop in small portions 
 on a paper ; set them near the fire, the next day they will 
 come off. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE ROSSOLY THE ITALIAN WAY. Gather fresh 
 Damask Roses, Orange Flowers, Jessamy Flowers, Cloves 
 and Gillyflowers; pick them clean, set on some Water 
 to boil, when it has boiled well let it stand to cool a little; 
 put these clean Flowers into a China Bason, pour the Water, 
 upon them when it is not hotter then to bear the finger in 
 it ; then cover it up, and let it stand Three Hours, gently 
 pour all into a fine Linen Bag, and let the Water run off 
 without squeezing the Flowers; to a Pint of this Water, 
 add a Quart of fine Melasses Spirit, and half a Pint of strong 
 cinnamon water : add three teaspoons of Essence of Amber- 
 grease, and stir all well together. This is the true Rossoly. 
 From The Receipt Book of Elizabeth Cleland, 1759. 
 
 SAUCE EGLANTINE (from Briar Rose) served frequently 
 at Balmoral in Queen Victoria's time. 
 
 Made from the hips, the seeds first being removed and a 
 sweet puree made of the red berries in pulp with a little 
 Lemon-juice added. 
 
 MARMALADE FROM ROSE-HIPS. To every pound of hips 
 allow half a pint of water; boil till the fruit is tender, then 
 pass the pulp through a sieve which will keep back the seeds. 
 To each pound of pulp add one pound of preserving sugar 
 and boil until it Jellies. E. G. Hayden, Travels Round 
 our Village. 
 
 To MAKE A CAKE WITH ROSE-WATER THE WAY OF THE 
 ROYAL PRINCESS, THE LADY ELIZABETH, DAUGHTER TO 
 KING CHARLES THE FIRST. Take half a peck of Flowre, 
 half a pinte of Rose-water, a pint of Ale yeast, a pint of 
 Cream, boyl it, a pound and a half of Butter, six Eggs 
 (leave out the whites), four pound of Currants, one half 
 pound of sugar, one Nutmeg, and a little salt, work it very 
 well and let it stand half an hour by the fire, and then 
 work it again, and then make it up, and let it stand an hour 
 and a halfe in the Oven ; let not your Oven be too hot. 
 
106 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 ROSEMARY 
 
 " For the sickly take this wort rosemary, pound it with 
 oil, smear the sickly one, wonderfully thou healest him." 
 Saxon MS. Herbal. 
 
 " The rosemary has all the virtues of the stone called 
 Jet." The Physicians of Myddvai. 
 
 " Make thee a box of the wood of rosemary and smell 
 to it and it shall preserve thy youth." The Little Herball, 
 1525- 
 
 " As for rosemary I lette it runne all over my garden walls, 
 not onlie because my bees love it, but because it is the herb 
 sacred to remembrance and to friendship, whence a sprig 
 of it hath a dumb language." SIR THOMAS MOORE. 
 
 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 rosemary cordial ? In the French language 
 of flowers rosemary represents the power of rekindling lost 
 energy, and in olden days it was held in the highest repute 
 for its invigorating effects both as a scent and a cordial. 
 The name rosemary means " dew of the sea," and the plant 
 which grows naturally near the sea always has the smell 
 of it. What is more beautiful 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 joy it is when one does ! Formerly the 
 aromatic scent of the plant was highly valued for its pro- 
 tective power against infection. It was carried at funerals, 
 burnt in sick 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 is incensier, 
 because it was so often used instead of incense when the 
 latter was too costly. In the British Museum there is an 
 interesting old MS. on the virtues of rosemary, which was 
 sent by the Countess of Hainault to her daughter, Queen 
 Philippa of England. In it one reads of rosemary, " it 
 mighteth the boones and causeth goode and gladeth and 
 lighteth alle men that use it. The leves layde under the 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 107 
 
 heade whanne a man slepes, it doth away evell spirites and 
 suffereth not to dreeme fowle dremes ne to be afeade. But 
 he must be out of deedely synne for it is an holy tree. Lavender 
 and Rosemary is as woman to man and White Roose to Reede. 
 It is an holy tree and with ffolke that been just and Right- 
 fulle gladly e it groweth and thryveth." In this MS. there 
 is recorded an old tradition I have never seen elsewhere : 
 that rosemary " passeth not commonly in highte the highte 
 of Criste whill he was man in Erthe," and that when the 
 plant attains thirty-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 wedding branches of gilded rosemary were given by 
 the bridesmaids to the bridegroom. A bunch of it was a 
 pretty New Year gift ; and sprigs were thrown " for remem-/ 
 brance " into the grave by the dead persons' friends and 
 relatives. Hentzner mentions in his Travels (1598) that in 
 English gardens the walls were frequently covered with 
 rosemary, and at Hampton Court he says : " it was so planted 
 and nailed to the walls as to cover them entirely." Gerard 
 tells us " wild rosemary groweth in Lancashire in divers 
 places, especially in the fielde called Little Reede amongst 
 the Hurtleberries near unto a small village called Mandslay, 
 there found by a learned gentleman often remembered in 
 our History (and that worthily), Master Thomas Hesketh." 
 The double-flowered rosemary is mentioned by Parkinson 
 in his Paradisi, 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 aquainted with it but am bold to 
 deliver it upon credit. It hath stronger stalks, not so easie 
 to breake, fairer, bigger and larger leaves of a faire greene 
 colour and the flowers as double as the Larkes heele or spurre. 
 This I have only by relation which I pray you accept untill 
 I may by sight better enforme you." He describes the wood 
 of rosemary being used to make lutes " or such like instru- 
 ments," and also carpenters' rules. Rosemary flowers are, 
 as every one knows, one of the most exquisite shades of blue 
 imaginable, and the Spaniards say that the flowers were 
 
io8 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 white originally, but that ever since the Virgin Mary threw 
 her robe over them they have preserved the memory of her 
 having thus honoured them by turning the colour she wore. 
 According to another tradition rosemary was one of the 
 bushes near which she sheltered during the flight into Egypt, 
 and the Spanish name of the plant romero (the pilgrim's flower) 
 preserves this legend. Throughout Spain it is valued for 
 its supposed power against magic, and Borrow in the Bible 
 in Spain described an incident showing the widespread belief 
 of the Spanish peasants in its protective power against the 
 evil eye. It would be possible to fill a book with all the 
 old herbalists have to say about rosemary, but I give only 
 what one enthusiastic lover of this beautiful herb tells us of 
 how it should be used. 
 
 " Take the flowers thereof and boyle them in fayre water 
 and drinke that water for it is much worthe against all 
 manner of evils in the body. 
 
 " Take the flowers thereof and make powder thereof and 
 binde it to thy right arme in a linnen cloath and it shale 
 make thee lighte and merrie, 
 
 " Take the flowers and put them in thy chest among thy 
 clothes or among thy Bookes and Mothes shall not destroy 
 them. 
 
 " Boyle the leaves in white wine and washe thy face 
 therewith and thy browes and thou shalt have a faire face. 
 
 " Also put the leaves under thy bedde and thou shalt be 
 delivered of all evill dreames. 
 
 " Take the leaves and put them into wine and it shall 
 keepe the Wine from all sourness and evill savours and if 
 thou wilt sell thy wine thou shalt have goode speede. 
 
 " Also if thou be feeble boyle the leaves in cleane water 
 and washe thyself and thou shalt wax shiny. 
 
 " Also if thou have lost appetite of eating boyle well 
 these leaves in cleane water and when the water is colde 
 put thereunto as much of white wine and then makes sops, 
 eat them thereof wel and thou shalt restore thy appetite 
 againe. 
 
 " If thy legges be bio wen with gowte boyle the leaves 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 109 
 
 in water and binde them in a linnen cloath and winde it 
 about thy legges and it shall do thee much good. 
 
 " If thou have a cough drink the water of the leaves 
 boyld in white wine and ye shall be whole, 
 
 ' Take the Timber thereof and turn it to Coales and 
 make powder thereof and rubbe thy teeth thereof, and it 
 shall keep thy teeth from all evils. Smell it oft and it shall 
 keep thee youngly. 
 
 " Also if a man have lost his smelling of the ayre that he 
 may not draw his breath, make a fire of the wood and bake 
 his bread therewith, eate it and it shall keepe him well." 
 
 To MAKE ROSEMARY WATER. Take the rosemary and the 
 flowers in the middest of May, before sunne arise, and 
 strippe the leaves and the flowers from the stalke, take four 
 or five elecampane roots and a handful or two of sage, then 
 beate the rosemary, the sage and the rootes together, till 
 they be very small, and take three ounces of cloves, three 
 ounces of mace, one and a half pounds of aniseed and beat 
 these spices every one by itself. Then take all the hearbes 
 and spices and put therein foure or five gallons of good 
 white wine, then put in all these hearbes and spices and 
 wine into an earthen pot, and put the same pot in the 
 ground the space of sixteen days, then take it up and still 
 in a Still with a very soft fire. The Good Housewife's Jewell, 
 1585. 
 
 How TO CANDY ROSEMARY-FLOWERS, ROSE-LEAVES, 
 ROSES, MARIGOLDS, ETC., WITH PRESERVATION OF COLOUR. 
 Dissolve refined or double-refined sugar, or sugar-candy 
 itself e, in a little Rose-water; boile it to a reasonable 
 height : put in your roots or flowers when your sirup is 
 eyther fully cold, or almost cold : let them rest therein 
 till the sirup have pierced them sufficiently : then take 
 out your flowers with a skimmer, suffering the loose sirup 
 to runne from them so long as it will : boile that sirup 
 a little more, and put in more flowers, as before; divide 
 them also : then boile all the sirup which remaineth, and 
 is not drunke up in the flowers, putting in more sugar if 
 
no A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 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, Delights for 
 Ladies, 1594. 
 
 To MAKE CONSERVE OF ROSEMARY FLOWERS. Take two 
 Pound of Rosemary -flowers, the same weight of fine Sugar, 
 pownd them well in a Stone-Mortar ; then put the Conserve 
 into well-glaz'd Gallipots. It will keep a Year or two. 
 Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE ROSEMARY WATER. Take a quarter of a Pound 
 of Rosemary when it is at its Prime, Flowers and Leaves, 
 a quarter of a Pound of Elecampane-root, half a handful of 
 Red Sage, six Ounces of Anniseeds, and one Ounce and a 
 half of Cloves; beat the Herbs together, and the Spices 
 each by themselves, put them to a gallon of White Wine ; 
 and let them stand a Week to infuse, then distill them. Ibid. 
 
 HUNGARY-WATER. 1 FROM MRS. Du PONT, OF LYONS; 
 WHICH IS THE SAME, WHICH HAS BEEN FAMOUS, ABOUT 
 
 MONTPELIER. Take to every gallon of Brandy, or clean 
 Spirits, one handful of Rosemary, 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, distil it, and you will have the finest Hungary- 
 Water that can be. It has been said the Rosemary -flowers 
 are better than the Stalks ; but they give a f aintness to the 
 Water, and should not be used, because they have a quite 
 different smell from the Rosemary, nor should the Flowers 
 of Myrtle be used in lieu of the Myrtle, for they have a scent 
 ungrateful, and not at all like the Myrtle. R. Bradley, 
 The Country Housewife and Lady's Director, 1732. 
 
 1 In the Imperial Library at Vienna there is still preserved the 
 receipt for the famous " Hungary- Water," which was invented for 
 Queen Elizabeth of Hungary, who suffered from paralysis, and who 
 is said to have been curea by being rubbed every day with it. 
 Tradition says that a hermit gave the Queen this receipt. 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS in 
 
 SPIRIT OF ROSEMARY. Gather a Pound and a half of 
 the fresh Tops of Rosemary, cut them into a Gallon of 
 clean and fine Melasses Spirit, and let them stand all Night ; 
 next Day distill off five pints with a gentle Heat : this is 
 of the nature of Hungary- Water, but not being so strong 
 as that is usually made, it is better for taking inwardly : 
 A Spoonful is a dose, and it is good against all nervous 
 Complaints. From The Receipt Book of Elizabeth Cleland, 
 1759- 
 
 To MAKE SNOW. Take a quart of thick Creame, and 
 five or six whites of Eggs, a saucer full of Sugar finely 
 beaten and as much Rose-water, beat them all together 
 and always as it riseth take it out with a spoon, then take 
 a loaf 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 Rosemary, and so serve it. 
 A Book of Fruits and Flowers, 1653. 
 
 ROSEMARY TEA. One pint of boiling water poured on 
 an ounce of the young tips. 
 
 ROSEMARY WINE. Infuse a bunch of rosemary tips 
 (about six inches long) in sound white wine for a few days, 
 when the wine will be fit to use. 
 
 RUE 
 
 " There's rue for you and here's some for me; 
 We may call it herb grace o' Sundays." 
 
 Hamlet, IV. v. 
 
 " It is set downe by divers of the Ancients that Rew doth 
 prosper much and becometh stronger if it be set by a Fig 
 tree : which (we conceive) is caused not by reason of 
 Frendship but by extraction of a contrary juyce, the one 
 drawing juyce fit to result sweet, the other bitter." Bacon, 
 Sylva Sylvarum. 
 
 " The Weasell when she is to encounter the serpent arms 
 herselfe with eating of Rue." W. Coles, The Art of 
 Simpling, 1656. 
 
 " Buy rue, buy sage, buy Mint, 
 Buy rue, sage. Mint, a farthing a bunch." 
 
 Old London Street Cry. 
 
H2 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 The antidote which Mercury gave to Ulysses against the 
 beverage of the Enchantress Circe has always been sup- 
 posed to be rue, and from the earliest times rue has had 
 a wonderful reputation. Galen, we are told, ate coriander 
 and rue raw, with oil and salt, against infection, and Dios- 
 corides recommends the juice as a counter-poison. Rue 
 was the chief constituent in the famous counter-poison 
 of Mithridates, King of Persia, and in later days in the 
 noted " Vinegar of the four thieves." According to tradi- 
 tion this vinegar enabled four thieves, during the great 
 plague of Marseilles, to enter all the stricken houses with 
 impunity and carry off all they chose. When gunpowder 
 was first used in Europe it was a popular belief that if the 
 gun-flint were boiled in rue and vervain the shot could not 
 miss. The Italian peasants still believe in rue as a pro- 
 tection from the evil eye, and many of them wear it con- 
 cealed on their persons. The 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 supposition. To the first 
 Duke of Saxony, Frederick Barbarossa in 1181 gave the 
 right to bear a chaplet of rue on his arms, and six centuries 
 later (1807) the first King of Saxony created the Order of 
 the Crown of Rue. This order was conferred on King 
 George when he was Prince of Wales in 1902. 
 
 Rue likes a poor, clayey loam mixed with calcareous 
 rubbish. Sow the seeds in March or April, or increase by 
 slips any time during spring. Rue must never be allowed 
 to run to seed. 
 
 A PREVENTIVE AGAINST THE PLAGUE. A handful each 
 of rue, sage, sweet-briar and elder. Bruise and strain with 
 a quart of white wine, and put thereto a little ginger and 
 a spoonful of the best treacle, and drink thereof morning 
 and evening. The Good Housewife's Jewell, 1585. 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 113 
 
 SAFFRON 
 
 " Thy plants are an orchard of Pomegranates, with 
 pleasant fruits ; Camphire, with Spikenard, Spikenard and 
 Saffron ; Calamus and Cinnamon, with all trees of Frankin- 
 cense ; Myrrh and Aloes, with all the chief spices." Song 
 of Solomon, IV. 13,14. 
 
 " Pare saffron plot 
 Forget it not 
 His dwelling made trim 
 Look shortly for him 
 When harvest is gone, 
 Then saffron comes on ; 
 A little of ground 
 Brings saffron a pound." 
 Tusser, Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry, 1580. 
 
 " For those at death's dpore and almost past breathing 
 saffron bringeth breath again." John Gerard, The Herball, 
 I597- 
 
 The saffron used in cookery for flavouring comes from the 
 crocus sativus, and from meadow saffron is obtained the 
 drug which is still much prescribed. Of the latter Turner 
 says, "It is sterke poyson and will strongell a man and 
 kill him in the space of one day ! " The saffron used in 
 cookery was formerly much more popular than it is now, 
 and presumably our ancestors liked strong flavours. Now- 
 adays it is only in Cornwall that it is used to any extent, 
 and very few people unless born and bred to it like saffron 
 cakes. Hakluyt tells us that saffron was brought to this 
 country by a pilgrim who concealed a head of it in his 
 staff, and "so he brought the root into this realm with 
 venture of his life, for if he had been taken, by the law 
 of the countrey from whence it came he had died for the 
 fact." Saffron is the only herb with a town named after 
 it Saffron Walden, in Essex, where it was grown in enormous 
 quantities for over two hundred years. Several of our 
 kings were presented with saffron in a silver bowl when they 
 visited the town. Bacon had a very high opinion of this 
 herb, and said that " what made the English people sprightly 
 was the liberal use of saffron in their broths and sweet- 
 meats." Samuel Trowell, in his New Treatise of Husbandry 
 I 
 
n 4 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 Gardening and other Curious Matters (1739), says of saffron 
 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 virtue out of the plant. He recommends picking an 
 ounce or two, putting it in a bladder, and carrying it about 
 till dry (they were leisurely folk in those days!), "which 
 small quantitie so dried hath been kept two years or more." 
 Saffron used to be made into balls with honey, and when 
 thoroughly dried these balls were powdered. 
 
 Saffron likes a sandy soil. It may be grown from seed 
 or increased by offsets from the bulb in the early summer. 
 
 To MAKE SYRUP OF SAFFRON. Take a pint of the best 
 canary, as much balm-water, and two ounces of English 
 saffron; open and pull the saffron very well, and put it 
 into the liquor to infuse, let it stand close cover'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 double 
 refined sugar; boil it till it is well incorporated, and when 
 it is cold bottle it, and take one spoonful in a little sack 
 or small cordial, as occasion serves. E. Smith, The Compleat 
 Housewife, 1736. 
 
 SAGE 
 
 " How can a man die who has sage in his garden ? " 
 Arabian Proverb. 
 
 " He who would live for aye 
 Must eat sage in May." 
 
 Old English Proverb. 
 
 " Also take sage and marjoram 
 Hit schall the kepe in save tee 
 Sounde and clene for to bee 
 Quyken the vaynes and the mynde 
 And all thy vertues kepe in kynde 
 Comfort the herte and kepe the sight 
 No man of erthe can telle his myghte." 
 
 Fifteenth-Century MS. Herbal. 
 
 " This herb yf left to putrify with the blood of a serpent 
 or a bird like a oysell, if it be touched on ye brest of a man 
 he shall lose his sence or felynge the space of fifteen dayes 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 115 
 
 or more. And yf the foresaid serpent be burned and the 
 ashes of it put in ye fyre, anone shall there be a rayne bowe 
 with an horible thunder. And yf ye aforesaide ashes be 
 put in a lampe, and be kindled, it shal appeare that all the 
 house is full of serpints and this hath been proved of men 
 of late tyme." The Boke of the Secrets of Albertus Magnus t 
 1560. 
 
 " 'Tis a plant, indeed, with so many and wonderful pro- 
 perties as that the assiduous use of it is said to render men 
 immortal." John Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 From time immemorial sage has been renowned for its 
 wonderful health-giving properties. The very name of the 
 plant, Salvia, 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 ? " The Chinese valued 
 this herb so highly that the Dutch in old days carried on a 
 profitable trade by exchanging sage for tea, and for one 
 pound of dried sage leaves the Chinese gave three pounds 
 of tea. The 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 bread 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 house. 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 
 country folk say that red sage never does well unless 
 the original slip were planted by some one with a " lucky 
 hand." 
 
 Sir John Hill tells us he knew an old man who had some 
 special secret in preparing sage. " This," Sir John Hill 
 says, " remained upon my mind, and it brought into my 
 thoughts the mighty praises that had been written of sage, 
 
n6 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 and the little that we see of it in comparison with these 
 wonders. The 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, so 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 that 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 office 
 as to bury, so says the inscription, all the inhabitants of 
 the place twice over. The full date of his age is not men- 
 tioned, but he was considered 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 old south wall 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. People there remember 
 still an old Latin line which he learned, I suppose, from 
 some clergy of the place and which he was continually 
 repeating." The leaves and seeds of sage, Sir John Hill 
 says, possess the greatest powers. " I have been engaged 
 at times some years in this my garden at Bayswater (I 
 thank God, the King and my great Patron gives me ample 
 opportunity). The common red sage has the greatest 
 virtue, and also that which Dioscorides says grows in barren, 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 117 
 
 dry and rugged places. The leaves are at their best before 
 the flower stalkes rise : this is in May. They were therefore 
 right who told our ancestors to eat them at that season. 
 Those who would use them constantly should dry them 
 at that time for the rest of the year. The roots are slightly 
 flavoured and of little value; of the nature of the leaves 
 but inferior by many degrees. The seeds are warm and 
 cordial beyond the leaves, carminative and friendly to the 
 nerves, but still in no way adequate or indeed approaching 
 to the powers attributed to the plant. Fewer disappoint- 
 ments have stopped many an inquiry, but the faith I placed 
 in the old writers, a faith founded on experience in many other 
 instances, lead me still to prosecute this subject. I have 
 long observed that there are certain juices contained in or 
 secreted from particular parts of plants at certain seasons 
 which do not exist in the same plant at other seasons or in 
 any other part." (He gives other instances, and amongst 
 them the very familiar one of the fragrant resin present 
 in the cup of the moss rose, the liquid balsam being present 
 only during flowering time.) " I examined the cups of sage, 
 and found there what I had sought before in every other 
 part of the plant so much in vain. Just when the flowers 
 of sage begin to open there is in their cups a fragrant resin 
 of this kind, highly flavoured, balmy, delicate, and to the 
 taste, one of the most delicious cordials that can be thought, 
 warm and aromatic. I no longer doubted anything that 
 had been said of sage ; the smell, the taste, the flavour here 
 promised all. Lord Bacon/' he continues, " laments justly 
 that physicians have applied themselves solely to the 
 cure of diseases, neglecting the prolongation of human 
 life. Sage, properly prepared, will retard that rapid pro- 
 gress of decay that treads upon our heels so fast in the 
 latter years of life, will preserve the faculties and memory, 
 more valuable to the rational mind than life itself without 
 them; and will relieve under that faintness, strengthen 
 under that weakness and prevent absolutely that sad 
 depression of spirits, which age often feels and always 
 fears, which will long prevent the hands from trembling 
 
n8 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 and the eyes from dimness and make the lamp of life, so 
 long as nature lets it burn, burn brightly ." 
 
 SAGE CREAM. 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 of 
 sugar. After the same manner you may do by any sort of 
 good herbs. From The Receipt Book of Joseph Cooper, 
 Cook to Charles I, 1654. 
 
 SAGE WATER. Take sage flowers, sprinkle them with 
 white wine, or water. Let them stand awhile. Then 
 distil them. Ibid. 
 
 CONSERVE OF SAGE. 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 glased and 
 steeped, set them in the Sun, stir them dayly ; it will last 
 one year. The Queen's Closet Opened, by W. N., Cook 
 to Queen Henrietta Maria, 1655. 
 
 SAGE TEA. Take a little sage, a little Balm, put it 
 into a pan, slice a Lemon, peel and all, a few knobs of sugar, 
 one glass of white wine ; pour on these two or three quarts 
 of boiling water ; cover it, and drink when thirsty. When 
 you think it strong enough of the herbs take them out 
 otherwise it will make it bitter. The New Art of Cookery, 
 by Richard Briggs, many years Cook at the Globe Tavern, 
 Fleet Street, the White Hart Tavern, Holborn, and at the 
 Temple Coffee House, 1788. 
 
 SAGE TEA. On an ounce of the leaves (use the young 
 tips) pour one pint of boiling water. Half a pint to be 
 taken at a time. 
 
 For a Sore Throat : Pour half a pint of boiling vinegar 
 on to small handful of sage leaves and then inhale ; or, 
 
 For a Sore Throat or Cough ; Pour a pint of boiling water 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 119 
 
 on a handful of sage leaves, and when moderately cool add 
 a little vinegar and honey. Take a teaspoonful at a time ; 
 use also as a gargle. 
 
 SAGE WINE, Take thirty 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 
 till 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 off 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. 
 
 SAMPIRE 
 
 " You cannot provide too much of this excellent in- 
 gredient in all crude sallads." John Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 What would 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 King Lear, but it is found in Corn- 
 wall, growing, as it is traditionally supposed to grow, just 
 out of the reach of the waves, but where the spray falls on 
 it. In Tudor days it was a favourite salad herb and was 
 grown in every garden. Gerard says of it : " Sampire is the 
 pleasantest sauce most familiar and best agreeing with man's 
 body." The young shoots may be eaten either fresh or 
 pickled. 
 
 To PICKLE SAMPIRE. Take sampire that is green and 
 has a sweet 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 will cover it. ' Put it into a saucepan, 
 sit it over a gentle fire, cover it close, and let it stand till 
 it is green and crisp, but do not let it stand till it is soft 
 
120 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 and tender. Then put it into the pan again and tye it 
 down close for use. John Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 SAMPHIRE PICKLE. 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 white-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 so hang it 
 over the Fire for half an hour only. Being taken off let 
 it remain cover 'd till it be cold, and then put up into small 
 Barrels of 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 Receit. John Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 SCURVY GRASS 
 
 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. 
 
 SCURVY TEA. Pour one quart of boiling water on two 
 ounces of the whole plant including the roots. Mix with 
 the juice of Seville orange, and take every day for six weeks 
 in spring. 
 
 SALLET OF SCURVY GRASS. Being finely picked short, 
 well soaked in clean water and 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 oyl and 
 vinegar; over all scraping sugar and trim the brim of the 
 dish. From The Receipt Book of Elizabeth Cleland, 1759. 
 
 To MAKE SCURVY-GRASS WINE. Take fresh Scurvy-grass 
 six Handfuls, powned it well in a Mortar, pour upon it 
 three quarts of Rhenish Wine, set it in a cool pja.ce for 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 121 
 
 three or four days; then strain it, and let it settle, then 
 draw it off from the Dregs. Ibid. 
 
 SKIRRET 
 
 " Skirret roots boiled in milk are excellent restorative 
 to people who have suffered through long illness." TRYON. 
 
 Skirrets are only just beginning to find their way back 
 into our gardens, but our ancestors valued them highly. 
 According to Gerard they were seldom eaten raw, but 
 they were boiled, stewed, roasted under the embers, baked 
 in pies whole, sliced or in pulp. He solemnly adds : " Tis 
 reported they were heretofore something bitter; see what 
 culture and education effects." Evelyn tells us that the 
 Emperor Tiberius liked them so much that he accepted 
 them for tribute. 
 
 Sow skirret early in April in drills twelves inches apart. 
 Thin the plants to a foot apart. The roots are fit for use 
 in autumn. Old roots throw off offsets in the spring, 
 and the plants may be increased by taking these and plant- 
 ing them. Skirrets like a light, rich, loamy soil. 
 
 SKIRRET PIE. Take your skirrets and boil them, skin 
 them, then cut them to Lengths about two or three inches. 
 Wash them with yolks of eggs and season with salt, ginger, 
 cinnamon, nutmeg. Put to them some chestnuts boiled 
 and blanched and some yolks of hard-boiled eggs split, 
 and lay over some sliced lemon. Put over butter and 
 close it in a raised coffin. From The Receipt Book of 
 Joseph Cooper, Cook to Charles I, 1654. 
 
 FRIED SKIRRETS. Boyle your skirrets and peel them : 
 this done roul them in Batter made with eggs, ginger, 
 cinnamon, flower of wheat and salt. If you will have 
 them green put in your juice of spinage and fry them in 
 Butter very carefully, for they are apt to stick together 
 and burn ; if you fry them brown, for the sauce after take 
 Butter, sugar and the juice of an orange and dish them. 
 If green take Butter, sugar, and sliced Nutmeg, the yolks 
 
122 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 of two or three eggs with the juice of spinach, beat up thick 
 together and serve it up with this sauce; garnish it with 
 some pretty cuts of puff-paste or other with sugar scraped 
 in it. Ibid. 
 
 SKIRRET MILK. Is made by boiling the Roots tender 
 and the pulp strained out, put into Cream or Milk new 
 boiled with Ham or four yolks of eggs, sugar, large mace 
 and other spice, etc. And thus is composed any other 
 root milk. John Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 SKIRRET PYE. 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 little salt and grated bread. Lay 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. Lay butter on the top 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 it. E. Smith, The Compleat 
 Housewife, 1736. 
 
 SKIRRET FRITTERS. Boil some skirret-roots till they 
 are very tender, take off the outside, and 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 spoonful 
 of flour is not sufficient 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. The New 
 Art of Cookery, by Richard Briggs, many years Cook at 
 the Globe Tavern, Fleet Street, the White Hart Tavern, 
 Holborn, and at the Temple Coffee House, 1788. 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 123 
 
 SMALLAGE 
 
 Smallage has little but its old-fashioned name to recom- 
 mend it, for it has a very disagreeable taste. It is wild 
 celery, and as Dethicke says, " It joyeth in the shadow and 
 cometh well in any ground. Leave only a stem or two and 
 it will endure for ever without any weeding whatever." 
 The old herbalists claim for it the same virtues as parsley, 
 and it was formerly used in salads and in pottages. 
 
 SMALLAGE GRUEL. In a Marble Mortar beat great Oat- 
 meal to meal (which requireth long beating) then boil it 
 three or four hours in Spring water. To a posset full of 
 two or three quarts of water put about half a Porrenger full 
 of Oat -meal, before it is beaten ; for after beating 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 exceeding small and put it in a 
 good half hour before you are to take your posset from the 
 fire : You are to season your Gruel with a little salt, at the 
 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 incorporate 
 with the Gruel, when it is melted. The Closet of Sir Kenelm 
 Digby Opened, 1669. 
 
 SORREL 
 
 Both garden sorrel and French sorrel are good " pot- 
 herbs," but the French sorrel is not so bitter. Formerly 
 sorrel was eaten like spinach, and it was commonly put in 
 soups also. Mrs. Bardswell tells us that " when no apples 
 are forthcoming for apple sauce sorrel leaves are a . good 
 substitute." 
 
 Sorrel seeds should 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. 
 
 " Sorrel plays a very important part in Belgian cookery, 
 
124 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 and consequently the presence of the Belgians in England 
 created a demand for it ; and during the autumn of 1916 it 
 could be bought very cheaply in London, id. or 2d. a pound. 
 It is an excellent substitute for spinach. One 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 extract. Very carefully add two 
 well-beaten eggs, and serve it with meat or with grilled fish. 
 The famous sorrel soup can be made with milk, but is better 
 and cheaper with potatoes. The sorrel is fried for a few 
 minutes in butter, and then put in boiling water with the 
 potatoes cut up in small pieces. Salt and pepper are added, 
 and the whole gently cooked and served without straining. 
 A very old French cookery book, published in 1796, ' with 
 the approbation and privilege of the king/ 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. The method is very simple. 
 The 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 half cold it is well packed into pots 
 and pressed down with a spoon. When quite cold, tepid 
 dissolved butter is poured over it, and the pots are covered 
 and kept in a dry place. The 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 and thickened with beaten eggs and a 
 little milk to form a delicious vegetable garnish." From 
 an article in Truth, November 1916. 
 
 To TAKE STAINES OUT OF ONES HANDS PRESENTLY. You 
 may do this with the iuyce, of Sorrell, washing the stained 
 parts therein. 
 
 EGGS WITH THE JUICE OF SORREL. Poach your Eggs in 
 boiling Water; and having pounded some Sorrel, put the 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 125 
 
 Juice of it in a Dish with some Butter, two or three raw 
 Eggs, Salt and Nutmeg : make all this into a Sauce, and 
 pour it on your poach'd Eggs; so serve them. From The 
 Receipt Book of Patrick Lamb, Master Cook to Charles II, 
 James II, William and Mary, and Queen Anne, 1716. 
 
 A TART OF THE JUICE OF SORREL. Beat sorrel in a Mortar 
 and strain out the juice put it into a Dish with three maka- 
 roons, a piece of fresh Butter, the yolks of three raw eggs, 
 green citron grated, orange flowers, and sugar and cinamon, 
 stir all this together over a fire and make a Cream of it and 
 put it into a Pan sheeted very thin with fine paste and when 
 it is baked serve it away with sugar over it. A Perfect School 
 of Instruction of the Officers of the Month, by Giles Rose, one 
 of the Master Cooks to Charles II, 1682. 
 
 To DRESS SORREL WITH EGGS. Put two handfuls of 
 Sorrel clean pick'd and washed into a saucepan, with a Bit 
 of Butter, a Pinch of Flower, a little Salt, Pepper and Nut- 
 meg, stew it, and a quarter of an Hour before you use it, 
 pour in two or three spoonfuls of drawn Butter. Garnish 
 it with hard eggs, cut in quarters, laying one End on the 
 Sorrel, and the other on the Side of the Plate, with the 
 Yolks uppermost, and serve it up, either for a course at 
 Dinner, or else for a Supper. From The Receipt Book of 
 John Middleton, Cook to the Duke of Bolton, 1734. 
 
 To MAKE A SORREL OMELET. Pick, wash and blanch 
 your Sorrel; then having cut it, fry it in Sweet Butter, 
 with a little Parsley and Chibbol ; when it is fry'd, pour in 
 some Cream, season them, and let them boil over a gentle 
 Fire. In the meantime make an Omelet of Eggs and 
 Cream, seasoned at Discretion. When it is enough, dress 
 it on a Dish, thicken your sorrel with the Yolks of a couple 
 of Eggs, and turn it on the Omelet, and serve it up hot. 
 Ibid. 
 
 A RAGOO OF SORREL. Having pick'd your Sorrel clean 
 from the Stalkes, set a sauce-pan over the Fire half full of 
 
126 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 Water, make it boil; then put in your Sorrel, giving it a 
 Scald; then take it out, squeezing it as hard as you do 
 Spinage, and drain it. Put it into a Sauce-pan and some 
 thin Cullis of Veal and Ham; Season it with Salt and 
 Pepper, and set it a simmering 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. 
 Ibid. 
 
 SOUTHERNWOOD 
 
 Southernwood, or Lad's Love, is nearly always 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." 
 
 SOUTHERNWOOD TEA. Clip four ounces of the leaves fine 
 and beat them in a mortar with six ounces of loaf sugar 
 till the whole is like a paste. Three times a day take the 
 bignesse of a nutmeg of this. It is pleasant and one thing 
 in it is particular, it is a composer and always disposes persons 
 to sleep. Sir John Hill, The British Herbal, 1772. 
 
 SPEEDWELL 
 
 About two centuries ago " the opinion was so prevalent 
 that this plant cured gout that speedwell was in a manner 
 destroyed for many miles about London." But we moderns 
 seem to have lost our faith in the virtues of this lovely wild 
 herb, and only very old-fashioned cottagers make speedwell 
 tea nowadays. 
 
 SPEEDWELL TEA. One pint of boiling water poured on to 
 one ounce of the plant. 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 127 
 
 STRAWBERRY 
 
 " Then unto London I d yd me hye 
 
 Of all the land it beareth the pryse 
 ' Hot pescodes ' one began to crye 
 
 ' Strabery rype ' and ' cherryes in the ryse.' ' 
 
 Lydgate, London Lyckpeny. 
 
 " Wife unto thy garden and set me a plot 
 With strawbery rootes of the best to be got, 
 Such growing abroade, among thornes in the wood, 
 Wei chosen and picked proove excellent good." 
 Tusser, Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry, 1580. 
 
 " Rare ripe strawberries and 
 Haut boys sixpence a pottle 
 Full to the bottom haut boys. 
 Strawberries and cream are charming and sweet. 
 Mix them and try how delightful they eat." 
 
 Old London Street Cry. 
 
 Until the nineteenth century our present garden straw- 
 berry was unknown in England. Till then wild straw- 
 berries were cultivated and improved in size and flavour; 
 as Hill, writing in the reign of James, tells us, " The straw- 
 berry requires small labour but by diligence of the gardener 
 becometh so great that the same yeeldeth faire and big 
 Berries as Berries of the Bramble in the hedge. The Berries 
 in Summer time eaten with creame and sugar is accounted 
 a great refreshing to men, but more commended being 
 eaten with wine and sugar." Dethicke says, " Certaine 
 skilful men by diligence and care procure the berries to 
 alter from the proper red coloure into faire white, delectable 
 to the eye." He also points out " the marvellous innocency 
 of this herb, though divers venemous things creep over the 
 herbes yet are they in no manner infected with any venem- 
 ous contagion, which is a note that the herbe (of propertie) 
 hath no affinitie with poyson." Formerly an excellent tea 
 was made from wild strawberry leaves, and the German 
 government are recommending their people to revive this 
 custom. A Tea was also made from equal quantities of 
 strawberry leaves and woodruff. Strawberry leaves were 
 commonly added to cooling drinks, the leaves were also 
 strongly recommended to be used in baths for those who 
 
128 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 suffered from " grevious aches and paynes of the hyppes," 
 and the juice of wild strawberries was used as a complexion 
 wash. Strawberry wine was a favourite with Sir Walter 
 Raleigh. 
 
 Coles in The Art of Simpling (1656) gives this advice : 
 " Among strawberries sow here and there some Borage seed 
 and you shall finde the strawberries under those leaves f arre 
 more larger than their fellowes." 
 
 FOR A FACE WASH. Take a quart of wild strawberries, 
 wild tansy, three pintes of new Milke. Still all these 
 together and wash your face therein. The Good Housewife's 
 Handmaid, 1585. 
 
 STRAWBERRY AND ALMOND TANSY. Take four quarts of 
 new milk, and half a pound of the sweet almond flour, two 
 ounces of lemon juice and half a pint of strawberry juice. 
 Put to these two pounds of fine sugar and a quart of Canary. 
 Stir them together and beat them till they froth, and 
 become of a pleasant colour. Ibid. 
 
 STRAWBERRY LEAF TEA. On two large handfuls of the 
 young leaves pour a quart of boiling water. 
 
 STRAWBERRY AND WOODRUFF TEA. On equal quanti- 
 ties of young strawberry leaves and woodruff pour one quart 
 of boiling water. 
 
 A CORDIAL WATER OF SIR WALTER RALEIGH. Take a 
 gallon of Strawberries, and put them into a pinte of aqua 
 vita, 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 perfume. 
 
 STRAWBERRY WATER. To a quart of water you must 
 have a pound of strawberries which squeeze in the same 
 water, then put in four or five ounces of sugar with some 
 lemon juice ; if the lemons are large and juicy one lemon is 
 enough to two quarts of water. All being well mixed put it 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 129 
 
 through a straining bag, put it in a cool place and give it to 
 drink. From The Receipt Book of Vincent la Chapelle, 
 Chief Cook to the Prince of Orange, 1744. 
 
 TANSY 
 
 " I have heard that if maids will take wild Tansy and lay 
 it to soake in Buttermilk for the space of nine days and 
 wash their faces therewith, it will make them look very 
 faire." The Virtuose Boke of Distyllacion, by Master Jherom 
 Brunswyke, 1527. 
 
 Our garden tansy was originally the wild tansy, but all 
 the old herbalists say that the latter has far more virtue 
 both in its leaves and flowers. The name tansy is derived 
 from Athanasia (immortality), and the plant is dedicated 
 to St. Athanasius. A tansy was a favourite dish in the 
 eighteenth century, and was as inseparable from a bill of 
 fare for Easter as roast goose at Michaelmas, or a gooseberry 
 tart at Whitsun. Before mint became recognised as the 
 proper accompaniment to roast lamb, tansy was used in the 
 same way. Tansy puddings and tansy cakes were com- 
 monly eaten during spring, and tansy tea was a recognised 
 cure for colds and rheumatism. 
 
 TANSY TEA. Dry bunches of tansy (leaves and flowers) 
 in the summer. On one ounce of the dried tansy pour a 
 pint of boiling water. 
 
 How TO MAKE A TANSY IN LENT.- Take all maner of 
 hearbes and the spawn of a Pike or of any other fish and 
 blanched almond and a few crums of bread and a little faire 
 water and a pinte of Rose-water and mingle altogether and 
 make it not too thin and frie it in oyl and so serve it in. 
 The Good Housewife's Handmaid, 1588. 
 
 How TO MAKE A TANSY. Take a little tansy, featherfew, 
 parsley and violets, and stampe them altogether and straine 
 them with the yolkes of eight or tenne eggs, and three or 
 foure whites, and some vinegar and put thereto sugar or 
 salt and frie it. Ibid. 
 
I 3 o A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 TANSY PUDDING. Blanch and pound a quarter of a pound 
 of Jordon almonds, put them into a stew pan, add a gill of 
 a syrup of Roses, the crumb of a French roll, some grated 
 nutmeg, half a glass of brandy, two tablespoonfuls of tansy 
 juice, three ounces of fresh butter and some slices of citron. 
 Pour over it a pint and a half of boiling cream or milk; 
 sweeten and when cold mix it, add the juice of a lemon and 
 eight eggs beaten. It may be either boyled or baked. Ibid. 
 
 TANSY AMBER CAKES. Blanch a pound of Almonds, 
 steep them in a pint of cream, pound them in a mortar, 
 add to them the yolks of twelve and whites of six eggs, 
 put in half a pint of juice of spinage and a quarter of a 
 pint of juice of Tansy, add to it grated Bread ; sweeten it 
 with sugar to your palate fry it in sweet Butter and keep 
 it stirring in the Pan till it is of a good thickness strew 
 sugar over it and serve it up. From The Receipt Book of 
 John Nott, Cook to the Duke of Bolton, 1723. 
 
 To MAKE AN APPLE TANSY. Pare your apples, cut them 
 in thin round Slices, fry them in Sweet Butter; then beat 
 half a score of eggs with a quart of cream, the juice of spinage 
 and Tansy of each a quarter of a pint, and a little Rose- 
 water ; when these are all beaten together pour them on your 
 apples. Ibid. 
 
 A GOOD TANSY. Take seven eggs and leaving out two 
 whites, and a pint of Cream some Tansy, Thyme, Sweet 
 Marjoram, Parsley, Strawberry leaves all, shred very small 
 a little nutmeg, add a plate of grated white Bread, let these 
 be mixed all together, then fry them but not too brown. 
 Ibid. 
 
 TANSY PANCAKES. Put four spoonfuls of flour into an 
 earthen pan, and mix it with half a pint of cream to a smooth 
 batter, beat four eggs well and put in, with two ounces of 
 powdered sugar, and beat all well together for a quarter of 
 an hour ; then put in two spoonsful of the juice of spinach 
 and one of tansy, a little grated nutmeg, mix all well 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 131 
 
 together, and fry them with fresh butter; garnish them 
 with Seville oranges cut in quarters, and strew powdered 
 sugar over them. The New Art of Cooking, by Richard 
 Briggs, many years Cook at the Globe Tavern, Fleet 
 Street, the White Hart Tavern, Holborn, and at the Temple 
 Coffee House, 1788. 
 
 To MAKE A PLAIN TANSY. Take a fine stale penny loaf 
 and cut the crumb in thin shaves; put it in a bowl, then 
 boil a mutchkin 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 ; then mix it with eight eggs well beaten, 
 two gills of the juice of spinage two spoonfuls of the juice 
 of 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 butter'd dish ; you may either bake it, or do it in the 
 driping pan under roasted meat. From The Receipt Book 
 of Elizabeth Cleland, 1759. 
 
 TARRAGON 
 
 Tarragon is a comparative newcomer in the herb garden, 
 for it was first grown (and then only in the Royal gardens) 
 in Tudor days. Evelyn says that " the tops and young 
 shoots like those of Rocket must never be excluded from 
 sallets. 'Tis highly cordial and friendly to the head, heart, 
 and liver." One old herbalist gives the strange advice 
 that when tarragon is a foot high it should be taken up and 
 put back into the same hole in order to make it grow better ! 
 
 TARRAGON VINEGAR. Strip the Tarragon from the stalks, 
 put it into a Pot with White-wine and Vinegar, in equal 
 quantities ; stop it up close and keep it for use. 
 
 THISTLE 
 
 Both the milk thistle and the blessed thistle were used 
 by our ancestors, the former as a vegetable and the latter 
 as a tonic, and Evelyn, in his Acetaria, says that to a salad 
 
132 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 of thistle leaves " the late Morocco Ambassador and his 
 retinue were very partial." The leaves of the milk thistle 
 shorn of their prickles were not only an ordinary ingredient 
 in a salad, but they were also boiled, and Tryon says of them, 
 " they are very wholesome and exceed all other greens in 
 taste." They were also added to Pottages, baked in pies, 
 like artichoke bottoms, and fried. Culpepper advises one 
 to " cut off the prickles, unless you have a mind to choke 
 yourself," but in olden days both the scales and the roots 
 were eaten. The young stalks, peeled, were eaten both fresh 
 and boiled. 
 
 MILK THISTLE STALKS. The young stalks about May being 
 peeled and soaked in water to extract the bitterness, boiled 
 or raw are a very wholesome sallet eaten with oyl, salt and 
 pepper. Boil them in water with *a little salt till they are 
 very soft and so let them dry to drain. They are eaten 
 with fresh butter melted not too thin and this a delicate and 
 wholesome dish. 
 
 Other stalks of the same kind may be so treated as the 
 Bur being tender and disarmed of its prickles. John 
 Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 THYME 
 
 " I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows, 
 Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows ; 
 Quite over-canopied with lush woodbine, 
 With sweet musk-roses and with Eglantine." 
 
 Midsummer Night's Dream, II. ii. 
 
 Thyme is, perhaps, the " cleanest " smelling herb, and 
 even in winter it seems to radiate the warmth and sunlight 
 it has absorbed during the hot summer months. Like fox- 
 glove and wood-sorrel, wild thyme has always been a 
 favourite with fairies ; and bees, too, love thyme. One old 
 herbalist tells us " the owners of Hives have a perfite fore- 
 sight and knowledge what the increase or yeelde of Honey 
 will bee everie yeare by the plentifull or small number of 
 flowers growing and appearing in the Thyme about the 
 summer solstice." 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 133 
 
 Only an exceptionally dense person is insensible to the 
 joy of walking over acres of thyme on the Surrey hills in 
 midsummer, when the bees in thousands are robbing the 
 thyme of its honey. Amongst the Greeks thyme was an 
 emblem of courage, and the very name of the herb signifies 
 courage. The Romans gave it as a remedy for melancholy, 
 and in this country the aromatic thyme tea was always 
 administered to sickly persons to revive and refresh them. 
 In Lancastrian days ladies frequently embroidered a bee 
 hovering over thyme on the scarves they gave their knights. 
 All the varieties of thyme should be grown in a herb garden. 
 The lemon-scented variety is the most delicious, and it is 
 the hardiest. In an old description of the gardens at 
 Deepdene near Dorking, one reads : " There are twenty-one 
 sorts of thyme in the garden which may seem a second 
 Eden -where under heaven can be a sweeter place ? " Like 
 violets, thyme will only grow in a pure atmosphere, and 
 " they joy to be placed in a sunny and open place." There 
 are, perhaps, no more health-giving herbal drinks than the 
 old sage and balm and thyme teas, and they should be 
 taken all through the spring and summer. Thyme is 
 exceptionally good for people with weak lungs. 
 
 THYME TEA. On two large handfuls of the leaves pour a 
 pint and a half of boiling water. 
 
 TO ENABLE ONE TO SEE THE FAIRIES. A pint of Sallet 
 
 oyle and put it into a vial glasse; and first wash it with 
 rose-water and marygolde water ; the flowers to be gathered 
 towards the east. Wash it till the oyle becomes white, 
 then put into the glasse, and then put thereto the budds 
 of hollyhocke, the flowers of marygolde, the flowers or 
 toppes of wild thyme, the budds of young hazle, and the 
 thyme must be gathered neare the side of a hill where fairies 
 use to be ; and take the grasse of a fairy throne ; then all 
 these put into the oyle in the glasse and sette it to dissolve 
 three dayes in the sunne and then keep it for the use. 
 Receipt dated 1600. 
 
134 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 VIOLET 
 
 " Violets dim, 
 But sweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes." 
 
 Winter's Tale, IV. iv 
 
 " From the meadows your walks have left so sweet 
 
 That, whenever a March wind sighs, 
 He sets the jewel print of your feet 
 In violets blue as your eyes." 
 
 TENNYSON. 
 
 " Nature 
 
 Who never negligently yet 
 Fashioned an April violet 
 Nor would forgive, did June disclose 
 Unceremoniously the rose." 
 
 W. WATSON. 
 
 The violet has for centuries been the emblem of con- 
 stancy, and there is an old English sonnet in which the 
 lines occur 
 
 " Violet is for faithfulnesse 
 Which in me shall abide." 
 
 Both in ancient and modern days, in the East and the 
 West, the violet has always been a favourite flower. There 
 is an old Eastern proverb : " The excellence of the violet is 
 as the excellence of El Islam above all other religions." The 
 French people 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" : 
 
 *' You know I won the violet at Toulouse." 
 
 From the earliest times herbalists have lauded the virtues 
 of the flowers and leaves of violets. Pliny bestowed high 
 praise on them, and amongst the Persians and Romans 
 violet wine was a favourite beverage. In Tudor days 
 syrups, conserves and paste of violets were much recom- 
 mended for delicate people, and the leaves were used in 
 salads and pottages. It is the sweet-smelling wild violet 
 (not the dog violet) which possesses the virtues. 
 
 VIOLET TEA. Half a pint of boiling water poured on a 
 handful of the fresh or dried leaves. 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 135 
 
 VIOLET LEAVES, at the entrance of spring fried brownish 
 and eaten with Orange or Lemon Juice and Sugar is one 
 of the most agreeable of all the herbaceous dishes. John 
 Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 To MAKE SIRROP OF VIOLETS. First gather a great 
 quantity of violet flowers and pick them clean from the 
 stalkes and set them on the fire and put to them so much 
 rose-water as you think good. Then let them boil all together 
 untill the colour be forth of them. Then take them off the 
 fire and strain them through a fine cloth, then put so much 
 suger to them as you thinke good, then set it againe to the 
 fire until it be somewhat thick and put it into a violet 
 glasse. The Good Housewife's Jewell, 1585. 
 
 To MAKE HONEY OF VIOLETS. The Honey of Violets is 
 made like the honey of Roses, making three infusions, and 
 the first infusion being strained, boyle as much honey with 
 it, and at the last scumme it. The Charitable Physitian, 
 by Philbert Guibert, Physitian Regent in Paris, 1639. 
 
 See under Honey of Roses. 
 
 CONSERVE OF VIOLETS, THE ITALIAN MANNER. Take the 
 leaves of blew Violets separated from their stalks and greens, 
 beat them very well in a stone Mortar, with twice their 
 weight of sugar, and reserve them for your use in a glass 
 vessel. The Queen's Closet Opened, by W. M., Cook to 
 Queen Henrietta Maria, 1655, 
 
 To MAKE VIOLET CAKES. Wet double refin'd Sugar, and 
 boil it, till it is almost come to Sugar again ; then put into 
 it Jiaice of Violets ; put in Juice of Lemons, this will make 
 them look 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 without the Lemon. From The Receipt 
 Book of John Middleton, 1734. 
 
 VIOLET TABLET. Steep violet flowers in lemon juice till 
 the colour is deep enough. Add sugar and boil to candy 
 height and cut into cakes before it is quite cold. 
 
136 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 VIOLET SYRUP. Macerate two pounds of fresh violets in 
 five pints of distilled water for twenty-four hours. Strain 
 the liquor through a cloth, and add double refined sugar 
 and boil to a syrup. 
 
 VIOLET VINEGAR. Infuse violet flowers in ordinary 
 vinegar. 
 
 WOODRUFF 
 
 Why has dried woodruff gone out of fashion ? Time seems 
 to have no effect on it, and for years the whorl-like leaves 
 retain their exquisite perfume. Perhaps one sees woodruff 
 in gardens so seldom because it is only the dried leaves 
 which have such a lovely scent. Formerly, dried woodruff 
 leaves were put in quantities in the pierced boxes of sweet 
 scents, which were so fashionable for perfuming rooms in 
 Queen Elizabeth's day. Gerard says of woodruff, that 
 " hanged up in houses, it doth very well attemper the aire, 
 coole and make fresh the place to the delight and comfort 
 of such 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 cuts, and woodruff tea was esteemed 
 an " excellent cordial drink." 
 
 WOODRUFF TEA is made of the whole herb (leaves and 
 flowers). On a large handful pour a pint of boiling water. 
 See also under Strawberry. 
 
 WOOD-SORREL 
 
 " There is a bank (I love it well) 
 
 Where climbs the sorrel of the wood, 
 Here breathes, how frail ! a puce-veined bell, 
 
 There snowy droops its crumpled hood. 
 With knotted roots of tinctured strings 
 
 A tender tapestry it weaves, 
 While folding back like soft green wings 
 The lappets of its cloven leaves." 
 
 CHARLES A. Fox. 
 
 Wood-sorrel has a number of pretty names Alleluia, 
 Lugula, Cuckoobread, Fairy Bells, Stubwort, It owes the 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 137 
 
 last name to the fact that it so frequently grows over the 
 stumps of old trees. Parkinson tells us, " It is called by the 
 apothecaries in their shoppes Alleluia and Lugula, the one 
 because about that time it is in flower, when Alleluya in 
 antient times was wont to be sung in the Churches; the 
 other came corruptly from Juliola as they of Calabria in 
 Naples doe call it." The name cuckoobread, by which many 
 children call it now, it owes to the fact that it flowers when 
 the cuckoo's note is most heard. Formerly, both the leaves 
 and flowers were a common ingredient in salads. 
 
 AN EXCELLENT AND WHOLESOME WATER-GRUEL WITH 
 WOOD-SORREL AND CURRANTS. Into a posset of two quarts 
 of water, besides the due proportion of beaten oat -meal, 
 put two handfuls of Wood-sorrel a little chopped and 
 bruised, and a good quantity of picked and washed cur- 
 rants, tyed loosely in a thin stuff bag (as a bolter cloth). 
 Boil these very well together seasoning the Composition in 
 due time, with salt nutmeg Mace, or what else you please, 
 as Rosemary, etc., when it is sufficiently boiled strain the 
 Oat-meal and press out all the Juyce and humidity of the 
 Currants and Herbs, throwing away the insipid husks; 
 and season it with Sugar and Butter ; and to each Porrenger- 
 full two spoonfuls of Rhenish Wine, and the yolke of an 
 Egg. The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Opened, 1669. 
 
 WORMWOOD 
 
 " Water of wormwoode is gode. . . . Crete lordes among 
 the Saracenys usen to drinke hitt." Fifteenth-Century MS. 
 Herbal. 
 
 " What savour is better, if physicke be true 
 
 For places infected than Wormwood and Rue ? " 
 Tusser, Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry, 1580. 
 
 There is an old tradition that wormwood sprang up 
 in the track of the serpent as it writhed along the ground 
 when driven out of Paradise. Wormwood was formerly 
 one of the herbs put amongst clothes to keep away moths, 
 and Culpepper tells us, " this herb Wormwood being laid 
 among cloaths will make a moth scorn to meddle with the 
 
138 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 cloaths as much as a lion scorns to meddle with a mouse 
 or an 'eagle with a fly." Sir John Hill was very scornful 
 of those who used any variety of wormwood except the 
 Roman : " No such herb is brought to market : they sell 
 sea wormwood, a nauseous bitter in its place, and the true 
 medicine, though possessed of all its virtues has thus lost 
 much credit. All the time there is no plant more hardy 
 than true Roman wormwood, none more easily propagated 
 in the open ground ; but the physician overlooks the abuse 
 and long neglect has made the other a universal substitute." 
 He ascribes the capacity of the Germans for eating so much 
 to the fact that between every mouthful they drank a decoc- 
 tion of Roman wormwood " in that way they eat for hours 
 together." 
 
 To MAKE SUGAR OF WORMWOOD, MINT, ANISEED, OR ANY 
 OTHER OF THAT KINDE. Take double refined Sugar, and 
 doe but wet it in fair water, or Rose-water, and boyl it to 
 a Candy, when it is almost boyled take it off, and stir it till 
 it be cold; then drop in three or four drops of the oyls of 
 whatsoever you will make and stir it well ; then drop it on 
 a board being before sifted with Sugar. The Queen's Closet 
 Opened, by W. M., Cook to Queen Henrietta Maria, 1655. 
 
 To MAKE WORMWOOD WATER. Bruise half a Pound of 
 Liquorish, and half a Pound of Anniseeds well, and put 
 them into two Gallons of port Wine ; put in also two or three 
 Handfuls of Roman Wormwood ; let them infuse for twelve 
 Hours, then distil them in an Alembick ; or you may infuse 
 the Ingredients in Brandy and distil them. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE WORMWOOD WINE. Take two Pounds of dry'd 
 Wormwood, two gallons of Rhenish Wine, let the Wormwood 
 lye in it to digest for three or four Months, shaking the Vessel 
 often ; when it is settled, decant the clear Tincture for use. 
 Ibid. 
 
 WORMWOOD BRANDY. Put an ounce of these flowers 
 with a pint of Brandy and let it stand six weeks. There 
 
OF SUNDRY HERBS 139 
 
 will be a tincture produced of which a tablespoon should be 
 taken in half a gill of water. Sir John Hill, The British 
 Herbal, 1772. 
 
 YARROW 
 
 " I rose early in the morning yesterday, 
 I plucked yarrow for the horoscope of thy tale 
 In the hope that I might see the desire of my heart. 
 Ochone there was seen her back towards me." 
 
 An old " raum " sung in the Hebrides. 
 
 The old song quoted above refers to the story of a certain 
 bard who fell in love with a girl in Stornoway, who married 
 another. He was always conjuring up her image, and every 
 Wednesday he composed a song to her till he pined away and 
 became so small that his father had to carry him in a creel 
 on his back. Yarrow from time immemorial has been used 
 in incantations and by witches, and in the seventeenth century 
 a witch was tried for using it. Yarrow is an aboriginal 
 English plant, and by many country people is still accounted 
 one of the most valuable of our British herbs, and they still 
 drink the old Yarrow tea for colds and rheumatism. 
 
 YARROW TEA. On a large handful of the roots, leaves and 
 flowers of yarrow pour one pint of boiling water. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 OF SALLETS 
 
 " In Health, if Sallet Herbs you can't endure, 
 Sick, you'll desire them, or for Food or Cure." 
 
 Old Proverb. 
 
 " Cold herbes now wholsom bee : 
 But let no blood in any wise : 
 By running stream and shadow tree, 
 Thy booke thou mayest well exercise." 
 
 July, Ram's Little Dodoen, 1606. 
 
 " We present you a taste of our English garden House- 
 wifry in the matter of Sallets. And though some of them 
 may be vulgar (as are most of the best things) yet we impart 
 them to show the Plenty, Riches, and variety of the Sallet- 
 Garden. And to justify what has been asserted of the 
 possibility of living (not unhappily) on Herbs and Plants 
 according to Divine institution." John Evelyn, Acetaria, 
 1699. 
 
 " STOCK-DOVES, pheasants and partridges," one old her- 
 balist says, " are the best sallet-gatherers in the way of 
 picking tender young sallets, and in their crops we find the 
 very tenderest of young buds, and even first rudiments of 
 several plants." Though we may not care to include in our 
 modern salads all the green food picked by these birds, we 
 might with advantage re-introduce the herbs and flowers our 
 forefathers used. Some of their salads, as may be seen in 
 the receipts, were very magnificent affairs indeed, and the 
 principal ornament of the banqueting table, but even the 
 ordinary ones with their numerous daintily arranged ingre- 
 dients and " stre wings " of edible flowers must have been 
 fascinating to look at. John Evelyn, the writer of Acetaria t 
 was a great authority on salads, and he tells us that " the 
 Potagdre was in such reputation that she who neglected her 
 
 140 
 
OF SALLETS 141 
 
 kitchen garden (for that was still the good woman's Province) 
 was never reputed a tolerable Housewife . . . she was never 
 surprised, had all at hand and could in a trice set forth an 
 handsome sallet." Indeed, it required much skill and judg- 
 ment to mingle the ingredients of " a brave sallet " as it 
 must be done, " not only so as to agree with the Humours of 
 those who eat them but so that nothing should be suffered 
 to domineer, so should none of them lose their Gust, Savour, 
 or Vertue. These must be in correct proportions, the cool 
 and refreshing to extinguish thirst, attemper the Blood, 
 repress Vapours, the Hot, Dry, Aromatic Cordial and friendly 
 to the Brain, the bitter and mordaunt, the mild and insipid, 
 animated with the piquant and brisk. In the composure 
 every Plant must bear its part and they must fall into their 
 places like the Notes in Music, and there must be nothing 
 harsh nor grating. And tho' admitting some discords (to 
 distinguish and illustrate the rest), striking in the more 
 sprightly and sometimes gentler Notes, reconcile all Dis- 
 sonancies and melt them into an agreeable composition." 
 
 As Evelyn says, it takes a wise person to be a sallet- 
 gatherer; " I can by no means approve of the extravagant 
 Fancy of some, who tell us that a Fool is as fit to be the 
 gatherer of Sallets as a wise man. Because say they one 
 can hardly choose amiss provided the Plants be green, young 
 and tender. Sad experience shows how many fatal mis- 
 takes have been made by those who took hemlock for aconite, 
 cow weed for Chervil, Dog's Mercury for Spinach, whose 
 dire effects have been many times sudden death and the 
 cause of mortal accidents to those who have eaten them 
 unwittingly, and even if not poisonous, some of these wild 
 and unknown Plants may annoy the Head and Brain. It 
 is not surprising, therefore, that divers Popes and Emperors 
 had learned Physicians for their ' Master-Cooks/ ' Those 
 who were foolish enough to raise salad herbs out of season 
 on hot-beds the old herbalists condemned. " These forward 
 Plants and Roots are but for the wanton Palate, and being 
 unnaturally raised cannot but produce malignant and ill 
 effects. We prefer the honest industrious Country Man's 
 
142 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 Field and the Good Wife's Garden, where they are legiti- 
 mately born and without forcing Nature." 
 
 The number and variety of the ingredients in the old 
 salad would astonish most modern cooks. Even in the 
 seventeenth century, Evelyn deplored how far we were 
 behind the French and Italians, " who gather anything 
 almost that is tender to the very tops of Nettles, so as every 
 Hedge affords a sallet (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 jenders, not Plants and Herbs alone, but men them- 
 selves pleasant and agreeable." And why should we not 
 revive these excellent old salads ? Why do not our modern 
 cooks decorate our salads with strewings of rose petals, violets, 
 primroses, gillyflowers, cowslips, and the flowers of elder, 
 orange, rosemary, red sage, angelica, nasturtium, wild thyme, 
 bugloss and marigold. All these flowers, and many others, 
 are full of virtue and most wholesome. That they might 
 not be wanting in winter salads many of them were preserved 
 in vinegar or candied, and sometimes instead of having the 
 flowers whole they were chopped and mingled together. 
 Besides the flowers, which were the most ornamental part, 
 " the furniture, and materials," consisted of an astonishing 
 number of roots, stalks, leaves and buds, which we never 
 think of using. We know it was the opinion of James II's 
 head gardener that there should be at least thirty-five ingre- 
 dients in an ordinary salad. He would have had a poor 
 opinion of the modern gardener's contribution to the salad 
 bowl. Numbers of roots were included, such as the elecam- 
 pane, daisy, fennel, angelica, rampion, parsnip, carrot, and 
 they were frequently blanched or candied, or simply boiled 
 and added when cold or pickled. Then for the green there 
 were sowthistle leaves, to which Evelyn tells us the Ambas- 
 sador from Morocco and his Retinue were so partial, young 
 spinach and wild succory leaves, tansy (" very sparingly 
 because of its domineering relish and much fitter for the 
 pan, being qualified with the juices of other ' fresh herbs ' "), 
 young primrose and violet leaves, tarragon and rocket leaves, 
 
OF SALLETS 143 
 
 the tops of red sage (" with their flowers they retain all 
 the noble properties of the other aromatic plants a plant 
 endued with so many wonderful properties as that the 
 assiduous use of it is said to render men immortal"), the 
 young tops of hyssop, thyme, marigold and marjoram, 
 Jack-by-the-hedge or Sauce alone, the tips of leeks (" a 
 little shred comes not amiss in composition "), lettuce (" Galen 
 saith it breeds the most laudable blood, and the great 
 Emperor Augustus attributing his recovery of a dangerous 
 sickness to them, it is reported he erected a statue and built 
 an altar to this noble plant "), young mallow leaves, mercury, 
 salad burnet, purslane, corn-salad, cowslip leaves, cresses 
 (" quickening the torpid spirits when the tender leaves 
 flowers and seeds are laudably mixt with the colder Plants "), 
 young basil, borage and bugloss leaves, chervil (" never to be 
 wanting in sallets as long as they may be had, being exceed- 
 ingly wholesome and chearing the spirits "), samphire (" you 
 cannot provide too much of this excellent ingredient"), 
 ox-eye daisy leaves, plantain and yarrow, vine tendrils, 
 wood sorrel, young cabbage leaves shred finely, and scurvy 
 grass. Ashen key, broom and elder buds pickled were all 
 common ingredients, and sometimes they had the candied 
 buds of flowers. Evelyn was somewhat contemptuous of 
 beet- root, and describes it as being " of quality cold and 
 moist, but sometimes commendable with wine and pepper." 
 Evidently the English did not serve it shred, for like other 
 writers he comments on the Italian and French custom of 
 paring it, " contrived into curious figures to adorn their 
 sallets." 
 
 And then what care must be taken in preparing the salad ! 
 " Let your Herby ingredients be exquisitely cull'd and 
 cleansed of all worm eaten slimy cankered dry spotted or 
 any ways Vitiated Leaves. And then that they be rather 
 discreetly sprinkled than over much sob'd with spring water 
 (could a French chef be more particular ?) especially lettuce. 
 After washing let them remain a while in the cullender to 
 drain the superfluous moisture and lastly swing them all 
 together gently in. a clean coarse Napkin. Then the Oyl 
 
144 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 must be very clean, not highly coloured nor yellow, but with 
 an eye rather of a pallid olive green without smell or the 
 least touch of rancid or indeed of any other sensible taste 
 or smell at all but smooth, light and pleasant upon the 
 tongue. The vinegar to be of the best wine vinegar and 
 impregnated with the infusion of clove gilliflowers, Elder 
 Roses, Rosemary, Nasturtium and thus enriched with the 
 Virtues of these Plants. The Salt to be of the brightest 
 and only enough put in to give them the grateful saline 
 acrid. The sugar to be of the best refined. The mustard 
 (a noble ingredient) to be of the best Tewkesbury or else 
 composed of the soundest and weightiest Yorkshire Seed, 
 exquisitely sifted winnow'd and free from the husks, a little 
 (not over much) dry'd by the fire, temper'd to the consistence 
 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 gaily pot 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 and have 
 it fresh when they please. But what is yet by some esteemed 
 beyond all these is composed of the dry'd seeds of the Indian 
 Nasturtium reduced to Powder finely bolted, from time to 
 time made fresh as indeed all other mustard should be. 
 The seeds to be pounded in a mortar or bruised with a 
 polished cannon bullet in a large wooden Bowl or Dish or 
 which is most preferred ground in a quern provided for this 
 purpose only. The pepper whether white or black not to 
 be bruised to too small a dust. Better than ordinary Pepper 
 is the root of the Burnet saxefrage and extolled by some 
 beyond all o ther peppers and very wholesome . " For * ' st rew- 
 ings " and " aromatises," they used grated orange and lemon 
 rind or saffron (a noble cordial, but so apt to prevail above 
 everything, we little encourage it admittance into our sallet). 
 To all this they added the yolks of fresh and new-laid eggs 
 boiled only moderately hard and mashed or cut into quarters 
 to eat with the Herbs. 
 For the actual making of the salad the clearest directions 
 
OF SALLETS 145 
 
 are given. No good modern cook uses a knife in preparing 
 a salad, and the old herbalists were equally particular. If 
 a knife were necessary it must be of silver. Then the " sallet- 
 dishes " must be of Porcelain or the Holland Delft ware, 
 " neither too deep nor shallow. There must be a Dish 
 in which to beat and mingle the liquid vehicles and a second 
 to receive the crude Herbs upon which they are to be poured 
 and then with a Fork and Spoon kept continually stirr'd till 
 all the Furniture be equally moistened. Some who are 
 Husbands of their oyl pour at first the oyl alone as more apt 
 to communicate and diffuse its slipperiness than when it 
 is mingled and beaten with the acids which they pour on 
 last of all. Tis incredible how small a quantity of oyl (in 
 this quality like the gilding of Wyer) is sufficient to imbue 
 a very plentiful assembly of sallet Herbs. Your Herbs 
 being handsomely parcell'd and spread on a clean Napkin 
 before are to be mingled together in one of the earthen glas'd 
 dishes. Take of clear and perfectly good olive oyl three 
 parts, of sharpest vinegar (sweetest of all condiments), lemon 
 or juice of orange one part, and therein let steep some slices 
 of horse-radish with a little salt : Some in a separate dish of 
 vinegar gently bruise a pod of pepper straining both the 
 vinegars apart to make use of either or one alone or of both 
 as they best like. Then add as much Tewkesbury or other 
 dry mustard grated as will lie upon a half-crown piece. Beat 
 and mingle all these very well together but pour not on the 
 oyl and vinegar till immediately before the sallet is ready 
 to be eaten. And then with the yolks of two new laid eggs 
 squash and bruise them all into mash with a spoon and 
 lastly pour it all upon the Herbs stirring and mingling them 
 till they are well and thoroughly imbued not forgetting the 
 sprinkling of Aromatic and such flowers mentioned and 
 garnishing the Dish with the thin slices of Horse Radish, 
 Red Beet or Berberries, etc. The liquids may be made 
 more or less acid as is most agreeable to your taste. 
 
 " These Rules and Prescriptions duly observ'd you have a 
 sallet for a Table of six or eight persons/' 
 
 Salads in those days must have been artistic triumphs, 
 
 L 
 
146 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 and no wonder one herbalist writes, " Let none despise our 
 Sallet Dresser or disdain so clean innocent and sweet and 
 naturall a Quality." Then looking back to a still more 
 halcyon age he adds regretfully, " All the world were eaters 
 and composers of sallets in its best and brightest age." 
 
 SALLET FOR FISH DAIES. Onions in flakes laid round 
 about the dishe; with minced carrots laid in the middle 
 of the dish, with boyled hips in five parts like a oken leafe 
 made and garnished with tansey long cut with oyle and 
 vinegar. The Good Housewife's Jewell, 1585. 
 
 To MAKE A SALLET OF ALL KINDE OF HEARBES. Take 
 your hearbes and picke them very fine into faire water and 
 pick your flowers by themselves and washe them all cleane 
 and swing them in a strainer and when you put them into 
 a dish, mingle them with Cowcumbers or Lemmons pay red 
 and sliced and scrape suger and put in ginger and oyle and 
 thro we the flowers on the top of the Sallet. Ibid. 
 
 DIVERS SALLETS BOYLED. Parboyle spinnage and chop 
 it fine, with the edges of two hard Trenchers upon a board, 
 or the backs of two chopping knives then set them on a 
 chafing dish of coales with butter and vinegar; Season it 
 with Cinnamon, Ginger, Sugar and a few parboyled currans. 
 Then cut hard egges into quarters and garnish it withall 
 and serve it upon sippets. So may you serve Burrage, 
 Bugloss, Endive, Succory, Coleflowers, Sorrel, Marigold 
 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 Butter : egges are necessary or at least very good 
 for all boyled sallets. John Murrell, The Ladies Practice, 
 1621. 
 
 SALLETS OF FLOWERS preserved in Vinegar and Sugar as 
 either Violets, broome flowers, or gillyflowers of all kindes. 
 G. Markham, The English Husbandman, 1615. 
 
OF SALLETS 147 
 
 A BRAVE WARMING SALAD FOR WINTER. Spinnage, Sorrel, 
 lettuce, and a few onions, then add oyl, vinegar, and salt, 
 balm, pepper grass, mint, endive, young green buds of cole- 
 worts and garlic. Tryon, A Treatise of Cleanness in Meats, 
 1692. 
 
 SALLET-ALL-SORTS. The Almonds blanch'd in cold water, 
 cut them round and thin and so leave them in cold water. 
 Then have pickled Cucumbers, Olives, Capers, Berberries, 
 Red-Beet. Buds of Nasturtium, Broom, etc., Purslan 
 stalk, Sampier, Ash-keys, Walnuts, Mushrooms, with raisins 
 of the Sun ston'd, citron and orange peel. Strew them over 
 with any candy 'd flowers and so dispose of them in the same 
 Dish both mixt and by themselves. To these add Marrows, 
 Pine kernels and of Almonds four times as much of the rest 
 with some Rose-water. Here also come in the Pickled Flowers 
 and Vinegar in little china Dishes. And thus have you an 
 universal winter Sallet or an All sort in compendium fitted 
 for a City Feast and distinguished from the Grand Sallet 
 which should consist of the green blanched and unpickled 
 under a stately Pennash of Sellery adorn'd with Buds and 
 Flowers. John Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 OTHER GRAND SALLET. All sorts of Good herbs, the little 
 leaves of red sage, the smallest leaves of Sorrel, and the leaves 
 of Parsley picked very small, tear some white cabbage leaves, 
 the youngest and smallest leaves of spinage, some leaves of 
 burnet, the smallest leaves of lettice, white endive and chervil 
 all finely picked, washed and swung in a strainer, or clean 
 napkin and well drained from the water, then dish it in a 
 clean scoured dish and about the center capers, currans, 
 olives, lemons cerved and slic'd, boiled beet-roots, carved 
 and slic'd and dished round also, with good oyl and vinegar. 
 The Art and Mystery of Cookery. Approved by the fifty- 
 five years' experience and industry of Robert May in his 
 Attendance on several persons of great honour, 1671, 
 
 A GRAND SALLET OF DIVERS COMPOUNDS. Take green 
 purslane and pick it leaf by leaf, wash it and swing it in 
 
148 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 a napkin, then being dished in a faire clean dish, and finely 
 piled up in a heap in the midst of it, lay round about the 
 center of the sallet, pickled capers, currans, and raisins of 
 the Sun, washed picked mingled and laid round about it; 
 about them some carved cucumbers, in slices or halves and 
 laid round also. Then garnish the dish brims with borage 
 or clove gillyflowers or otherways with cucumber peels, 
 olives, capers, and raisins of the Sun, then the best sallet 
 oyl and wine vinegar. Ibid. 
 
 AND NOW, IF YOU WILL MAKE A CROWNED, OR GRAND 
 SALLET, YOU MAY DO THIS. Take a Ballotin, or great Citron, 
 cut off 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 thickness 
 of a Crown-piece, keeping your knife turning round the Fruit 
 at that even thickness, 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 Napkin you must lay your Meat of the 
 Ballotin, and there carve it neatly into what Form or Figure 
 you think fit, that may serve to make a Crown, by the help 
 of a Steel Saw which hath been cut; the French say cut 
 in the day, that is, that you may see clearly through it, 
 and you are to take notice, that you are to 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 are to take notice that a Royal Crown 
 is to be cut at the top with crosses and Flower-de-Luces. 
 And you may take 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 pick'd out all the loose 
 pieces, that your Work may show itself, then put your Crown 
 into cold water, and take fair Lemons and Oranges, cut off 
 the two ends and take off the Pill to the white at their full 
 bigness and height, to the thickness of a Crown-piece, and 
 
OF SALLETS 149 
 
 throw them into fair water, let them lye a little then take 
 them out again and cut them into what Figures you please, 
 but at their full length : to make a half-crown, you must 
 have about fifteen of these of both sorts, which will suffice 
 to set round the brims of a Plate. 
 
 Then you must have all sorts of good sallet herbs, and to 
 make a Bed of them, when they are cut indifferent small, 
 upon the hollow of a large brini'd Plate, and garnish them 
 with Beet -roots, and when that great Crown hath been taken 
 up and let run a little, place him hansomly upon your bed 
 of Herbs, at what bigness you please, and garnish him within 
 with all sorts of good herbs, then Rasp the Rinds of green 
 Citron, and make a kind of a Rock within the Crown upon 
 the herbs to that height that it may come a little above the 
 Crown, and the Crown seem as if it were made fast about 
 the Rock, but do not forget to garnish your works of the 
 Crown with the seeds of Granades that are very red. 
 
 Then take your little Crowns out of the Water, and let 
 them run, and place them round about the great one upon 
 little beds of good sallet herbs or Beet -roots, and fill them 
 within with good herbs, and on the top of each a little of 
 your green Citron or Lemon Rasped like a Rock, and they 
 should be garnished also with the seeds of Granades, 
 Pistaches, and sweet Almonds, and hansomly ranged and 
 mingled, first an Orange then a Lemon; thus garnish and 
 set about your great Crown what garniture you please, 
 for delight, between each little Crown : this will be pleasing 
 to the Eye, set it in the middle of a Table, and ought to 
 be served with Orange-Flowers-Water, and rasped Sugar 
 over it. From The Receipt Book of John Middleton, Cook 
 to the Duke of Bolton, 1734. 
 
 To MAKE A GRAND SALLAD FOR THE SPRING. Take cowslip 
 buds, violet-flowers and leaves; young lettuce, spinach, 
 Alexander Buds, Strawberry leaves, water cresses, each 
 apart by themselves and then take also Capers, Olives, 
 Samphire, Cucumbers, Broombuds, Raisins and Currans 
 parboiled, Almonds blanched, Barberries and other pickles, 
 
150 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 then lay a Turnip 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 in like manner and coloured with green Herbs 
 and stuck with flowers ; you must also have annexed to it 
 twelve supporters round it, sloping to it, and fastened to 
 the Castle; then having made four rings of Paste, each 
 bigger than the other, the Biggest must compass the Castle 
 and reach within three inches of the Feet of your supporters ; 
 the second must be within two inches of that, and so place 
 as many as you think convenient and according to the size 
 of your dish, that they may be like so many Steps, one above 
 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 things suitable to the Season. 
 These grand Sallads are only for great Feasts. Remember 
 that in Autumn your standard ought to be the Resemblance 
 of a Castle carved out of Carrots and Turnips ; in the winter 
 a tree hung with Snow, in Summer a green Tree. From 
 The Receipt Book of John Nott, Cook to the Duke of Bolton, 
 1723- 
 
 SALLAD FOR WINTER. Take a hard cabbage, and with 
 a sharp knife shave it as thin as possible and serve it up 
 with oil, mustard and vinegar. 
 
 Or else take corn sallad and Horse radish scrap'd fine, 
 dish it handsomely and serve it with oil and vinegar. Mrs. 
 Glasse, The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy, 1784. 
 
 BROCCOLI IN SALLAD. Broccoli is a pretty dish by way of 
 Sallad in the middle of a table. Boil it like asparagus; 
 lay it in your dish, beat up with oil and vinegar and a little 
 salt. Garnish with nasturtium buds. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE A GRAND SALLET FOR THE SPRING. Your 
 Gardener, or those that serve you with herbs, must supply 
 you with all manner of Spring-Sallets, as buds of Cowslips, 
 
OF SALLETS 151 
 
 Violets, Strawberries, Primrose, Watercresses, young Lettuce, 
 Spinnage Alexander-buds, or what other things may be got, 
 either backward or forward in the Spring ; having all these 
 things severally and apart, then take of themselves Sampier, 
 Olives, Capers, Broom-buds, Cowcumbers, Raisons and 
 Currans parboyled, 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 (like a Castle), being washed in the yolks 
 of eggs, and all made green with herbs ; as also, a tree within 
 that, in the like manner may be made, with Paste, made 
 green, and stuck with Flowers, so that you may not perceive 
 it, but to be a tree, with about twelve supporters round, 
 stooping to, and fastened in holes in your Castle, and the 
 other end bending out to the middle of your dish; they 
 may be formed with Paste ; then having four rings of Paste, 
 the one bigger than another (like unto 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 gradually, 
 that they may be like as many steps going up to a Cross ; 
 you may have likewise four Belconies 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 the other till you come 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 green, 
 let them be opposite, the white against the white, and the 
 green against the green, and so all the other ; so your dishes 
 bottom being wholly covered below your Mount, garnish 
 your dish with all kind of things suitable, or afforded by the 
 Spring; your Statues ought to have every one a Cruitt 
 placed in their hands, two with Vinegar and two with Oyl ; 
 when this Sallet is made, let it be carried to the Table, and 
 set in its place ; and when the guests are all placed, unstop 
 the Cruitts, that the Oyl and Vinegar may run on the Sallet ; 
 these Cruits must be glasses not a quarter of a pint apiece, 
 
152 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 sized over on the outside, and strowed with flowers : After 
 the same manner may you make your Sallet in Summer, 
 Autumn, or Winter; only take those Sallets that are then 
 in season, and changing your standard ; for in the Summer, 
 you ought to resemble a green tree; and in the Autumn, 
 a Castle carved out of Carrots and Turnips ; in the Winter, 
 a Tree hanged with Snow : This only is for great Feasts, and 
 may inform the Practitioner in such Feasts, for the honour 
 of his Master, and benefit of himself. The Paste that you 
 make your Castle or Standard with, must be made of Rye. 
 There is nothing of more constant use in our sallets than 
 good Vinegar so we think it not amiss to give the following 
 (much approv'd) Receipt. 
 
 VINEGAR. To every gallon of Spring water, let there be 
 allowed 3 Ibs. of Malaga-Raisins. Put them in an earthern 
 Jarr and place them where they may have the hottest sun 
 from May till Michaelmas. Then pressing them well Tun 
 the liquor up in a very strong iron-hoop'd Vessel to prevent 
 its bursting. It will appear very thick and muddy when 
 newly pressed but will refine in the Vessel and be as clear 
 as wine. Thus let it remain untouch'd for three months 
 before it be drawn off and it will prove excellent Vinegar. 
 John Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 To MAKE MUSTARD. The best way of making Mustard 
 is this : Take of the Best Mustard-seed (which is black) 
 for example a quart. Dry it gently in an oven, and beat 
 it to subtle powder, and searce it. Then mingle well strong 
 Wine-vinegar with it, so much that it be pretty liquid, for 
 it will dry with keeping. Put to 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 scraped 
 and bruised; and stir it often with a Horse-radish root 
 cleansed, which let always lie in the pot, till it have lost its 
 vertue, then take a new one. This will keep long and grow 
 better for a while. It is not good till after a month. 
 
OF BALLETS 153 
 
 Some think it will be the quicker, if the seed be ground 
 with fair water, instead of vinegar, putting store of Onions 
 in it. 
 
 My Lady Holmeby makes her quick fine Mustard thus : 
 Choose true Mustard seed ; dry it in an oven, after the bread 
 is out. Beat and scarce it to a most subtle powder. Mingle 
 Sherry sack with it (stirring it a long time very well, so much 
 as to have it of a fit consistence for Mustard) then put a 
 good quantity of fine Sugar to it, as five or six spoonfuls, or 
 more, to a pint of Mustard. Stir and incorporate all well 
 together. This will keep good a long time. Some do like 
 to put to it a little (but a little) of very sharp Wine- vinegar. 
 The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Opened, 1669. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 HERB POTTAGES 
 
 " In pottage without herbs there is 
 Neither goodness nor nourishment." 
 
 Book of I ago ab Dewi. 
 
 " We cannot make so much as a little good Pottage 
 without Herbes, which give an admirable relish and make 
 them wholsom for our Bodies." W. Coles, The Art of 
 Simpling, 1656. 
 
 A COOLING POTTAGE. 7 Take Borage, Mallows, Fumitory, 
 Violet Leaves, Beetes, Great Raisins (the stones taken out), 
 Prunes and a little Dill. Seethe these in pottage and eat 
 thereof. The Good Housewife's Handmaid, 1588. 
 
 HERB 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 as you would have it in thickness and when your 
 water and oatmeal is just ready to boyl, put your Herbs 
 into it, cut or uncut as you like best ; take a Ladle and lade 
 it and then you may eat it with the herbs or strain it adding 
 a little butter, salt and bread. The 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, wholsom, cleansing sort of pottage far beyond 
 what is commonly made. Tryon, The Good Housewife, 
 1692. 
 
 ANOTHER SORT OF HERB POTTAGE. Take water and 
 oatmeal make it boyling hot on a quick fire then take 
 Spinnage, corn sallet and mint cut them and put a good 
 quantity into it. Let it stand on the fire till it be ready to 
 
HERB POTTAGES 155 
 
 boyl and then lade it to and fro five or six minutes, then 
 take it off and let it stand awhile that the oatmeal may sink 
 to the bottom then strain it adding butter, salt and bread 
 and when it is about Blood warm eat it. This is a gallant 
 sublime pottage ... it chears and comforts the Spirits, 
 breeds good Blood and makes the whole body lightsom. 
 
 The same method you ought to follow in making all sorts 
 of gruels and herb pottages, be the Herbs of what Nature 
 they will, for the boyling of Herbs not only in pottage but 
 for any other use of Food was not invented by wise seers 
 into the Arcana of Nature, for it does as it were totally 
 destroy the pure volatile spirits and balsamick 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. Boyling any sorts of 
 Herbs does in a moment's time either suffocate or evaporate 
 the volatile Spirits of them and then all the sweet, pleasant, 
 cleansing virtues are gone. Ibid. 
 
 GARLIC OR ONION POTTAGE. Take water and oatmeal, 
 stir it together and when it is ready to boyl, bruise as much 
 garlick or onion as you please, to make it either strong or 
 weak, put this bruised garlick into your boyling hot gruel 
 and brew it to and fro with your ladle that it may not boyl, 
 for five or six minutes; then take if off and let it stand a 
 little, then add butter, salt and bread and eat it as warm as 
 your Blood. Tis a brave, warm, cleansing Gruel, nothing 
 so strong and nauseous as that which is boyled for this 
 way you do extract the finer and purer parts of the garlic, 
 and leaves the strong, nauseous Qualities behind, but on the 
 contrary much boyling, or boyling according to custom, does 
 destroy the good cleansing vertues and awakens the Evil. 
 Ibid. * 
 
 To MAKE SPINAGE POTTAGE. Take nothing but the Heart, 
 or Soundest Part of the Spinage ; mince it fine, and stew it 
 in a Pipkin with Pease-soop, an onion stuck with Cloves, a 
 
156 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 Carrot, and other Seasoning Ingredients. Set your Crusts 
 a soaking, scrape in some Parmesan, and dress your Pottage : 
 Garnish it with Sticks of Cinnamon round about, and lay one 
 in the middle, orf ry'd Bread or an Onion. The Queen's Closet 
 Opened, by W. M,, Cook to Queen Henrietta Maria, 1655. 
 
 SOUP DE SANTE FOR FISH DAYS. 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 off 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 stuck with cloves, shred Parsley and a faggot of 
 savoury Herbs, lay in the middle of your Soop-dish a French 
 roll fried having taken the crumb out at the bottom, cover 
 the Bottom of your dish with the crust of French Rolls, set 
 it over a chafing-dish of coals, lay the herbs upon them and 
 then pour the soop upon your crusts and herbs, let it stand 
 a while to simmer, and soak the Bread. Garnish it with 
 Turnips and Carrots and serve it up hot. From The Receipt 
 Book of Joseph Cooper, Cook to Charles I, 1654. 
 
 BROWN POTTAGE OF HERB ROOTS. Take carrots and 
 turnips and cut them in Dice, flour them and fry them Brown 
 in clarify '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, parsley 
 and onions chop these together, not too small, put to them 
 as much of your gravy as will fill your dish. When you 
 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 worked up into Bread and Eggs 
 and season'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 Sliced 
 Lemon, Ibid. 
 
HERB POTTAGES 157 
 
 POTAGE MAIGRE. Take four quarts of Spring water, two 
 or three onions stuck with some Cloves, two or three slices 
 of lemon peel; Salt, whole white Pepper, Mace, a Raze or 
 two of Ginger tied up in a fine cloth (Lawn or Tiffany), and 
 make all boil for half an hour. Then having Spinage, Sorrel, 
 White Beet, chard a little cabbage a few small tops of 
 Gives (Chives) wash'd and pick'd clean shred them and cast 
 them into the Liquor, with a pint of blue pease boild soft, 
 and strained with a bunch of sweet herbs, the top and bottom 
 of a French roll, and so suffer it to boil during three hours 
 and then dish it with another small French roll and Slices 
 about the Dish. Some cut Bread in slices and frying them 
 brown (being dried) put them into the Pottage just as it is 
 going to be eaten. 
 
 The same herbs clean, washed, broken and pulled asunder 
 only being put into a close cover'd pipkin, without any other 
 water or liquor will stew in their own juice and moisture. 
 Some add an whole onion which after a while should be 
 taken out, remembering to serve it with salt or spice, and 
 serve it up with Bread and a piece of fresh Butter. John 
 Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 ELDER LEAVES. Though the leaves are somewhat rank 
 of smell and so not commendable for Sallet they are other- 
 wise (as indeed is the entire shrub) of the most sovereign 
 virtues, and the Spring buds and tender leaves excellently 
 wholesome in Pottage. Ibid. 
 
 TO MAKE SOOP IN THE SPRING, WHEN THERE IS NO SELERV 
 
 NOR ENDIVE. Take twelve Cabbage, Lettuce, six green 
 Cucumbers, pare them and take the Cores out, cut both 
 Cucumbers and Lettuce in little Bits about an Inch long, 
 scald them off in boiling Water, and put them to clear, 
 strong Broth ; let them boil Tender with a Handful of Green 
 Pease. Let your garnishing be Cucumbers and Lettuce. 
 Use no thickening in this Soop. So serve it. The 
 Receipt Book of Patrick Lamb, Master Cook to Charles II, 
 James II, William and Mary, and Queen Anne, 1716. 
 
158 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 To MAKE CARROT SOUP. Boil your carrots, cleanse them, 
 beat them in a mortar or wooden tray, put them into a 
 pipkin with Butter, white Wine, Salt, Cinnamon, Sugar, 
 shred Dates, boil'd currants. Stew these well together. 
 Dish them on Sippets, garnish with hard Eggs in Halves 
 or Quarters and scrape in Sugar. From The Receipt Book of 
 John Nott, Cook to the Duke of Bolt on, 1723. 
 
 To MAKE MEAGRE BROTH FOR SOOP WITH HERBS. -Set 
 on a Kettle 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 make Lettuce Soop, Artichoke Soop, Asparagus Soop, 
 Succory Soop, and Soop de Sante with Herbs. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE POTAGE THE FRENCH WAY.^ Take hard lettuce, 
 sorrel and chevril of each a like Quantity or any other Herbs 
 you like as much as half a peck will hold pressed down, 
 pick 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 boild take out the crust 
 of bread and put in the yolks of a couple of eggs well beaten 
 and stir together over the fire. Lay in a Dish some slices 
 of Bread. Pour it in, serve it up. Ibid. 
 
 POTTAGE WITHOUT THE SIGHT OF HERBS. Mince several 
 sorts of sweet herbs very fine Spinage, Parsley, Marigold 
 flowers, Succory, Strawberry and Violet Leaves. Pound 
 them with oatmeal in a Mortar. Boil your oatmeal and 
 herbs in broth and serve. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE A POTTAGE FOR ONE OR TWO PERSONS. Take 
 four Handfuls of Pot-herbs, pick'd, wash'd, and cut small, 
 two or three Onions cut small likewise, three or four Leeks, 
 Half an Ounce of fresh Butter or Bacon, four Spoonfuls 
 either of fine Flour, pounded Rice, Oatmeal, or peel'd Barley, 
 a Dram of Salt, and a little Pepper ; boil the whole in three 
 Quarts of Water, which must be reduced to a Pint and a 
 
HERB POTTAGES 159 
 
 Half, and kept for use. You may make, at the same time, 
 Pottage enough for three or four days. The Modem 
 Cook, by Vincent La Chapelle, Chief Cook to the Prince of 
 Orange, 1744. 
 
 A MOISTENING AND COOLING BROTH WITH HERBS. Take 
 
 some Leaves of Sorrel, Beet, Lettuce, Purslane, and Chevril, 
 two 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 
 boiled away is to be taken off and strained through a Sieve. 
 Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE POTTAGE OF CHOPPED HERBS. Mince very fine 
 Spinage, Chives, Parsley, Marigold-flowers, Succory, Straw- 
 berry and Violet Leaves, stamp them with Oatmeal in 
 a Bowl, put chopped Greens in with it : you may either 
 put Broth or Water to them; if Water, boil a good Piece 
 of Butter in it; put sipets in the Dish, and pour it over 
 them. From The Receipt Book of Elizabeth Cleland, 1759. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 HERB PUDDINGS 
 
 " Thus have you receipts for herb puddings." 
 
 To MAKE A GREEN PUDDING. Take a penny loafe of 
 stale bread. Grate it put to it halfe a pound of Sugar, a 
 grated nutmeg, as much salt as will season it, three-quarters 
 of a pound of Beef suet shred very small, then take sweet 
 herbs, the most of them Marrigold, shred the herbs very 
 small mix all well together then take two eggs and work 
 them up together with your hand, and make them into 
 round balls and when the Water boyls put them in, serve 
 them. Rose-water, sugar and butter for sauce. The Com- 
 pleat Cook, 1655. 
 
 To MAKE TARTS CALLED TAFFITY TARTS. First wet 
 your paste with Butter and cold water and roule it very 
 thin, also then lay them in layes and between every lay of 
 apples strew some sugar and some lemond pill, cut very 
 small. If you please, put some Fennel seed to them ; then 
 put them into a stoak hot oven, and let them stand an houre 
 in or more, then take them out and take Rose-water and 
 Butter beaten together and wash them over with the same 
 and strew fine sugar upon them, then put them into the 
 Oven againe, let them stand a little while and take them 
 out. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE A GREEN BOILED PUDDING OF SWEET HERBS. 
 Take and steep a penny white loaf in a quart of cream and 
 onely eight yolks of eggs, some currans, sugar, cloves, 
 beaten mace, dates, juice of spinage, saffron, cinnamon, 
 
 160 
 
HERB PUDDINGS 161 
 
 nutmeg, sweet marjoram, tyme, savory, minced very small 
 and some salt, boil it with beef-suet, marrow (or none). 
 Robert May, The Art and Mystery of Cookery, 1671. 
 
 A TART OF ARTICHOKE CREAM WITH SUGAR. When your 
 artichoke bottoms are well boiled beat them in a mortar 
 and strain them through a cullendar with butter, the yolks 
 of two eggs raw, salt, cinnamon, sugar and green citron, put 
 them into a Patty pan sheeted with fine Paste, but do not 
 cover it all and when it is baked ice it over with Sugar and 
 Orange-flower water and so serve it away. A Perfect 
 School of Instructions for the Officers of the Month, by Giles 
 Rose, one of the Master Cooks to Charles II, 1682. 
 
 A TART OF BEET ROOTS. First roste your Beet roots in 
 the Embers and peel them very well, cut them in pieces and 
 give them a boil with a glass of white wine and then beat 
 them in a Morter, with a piece of Sugar, a little Salt, and 
 Cinnamon, and put them into fine paste with some green 
 citron rasped and a piece of Butter and do not cover it, 
 but when it is baked, serve it with perfumed Sugar and 
 Orange flowers. Ibid. 
 
 TANSY PUDDING. Take the gratings or slices of three 
 Naples biscuits put them into pint of cream with twelve 
 fresh eggs four of the whites cast out, strain the rest and 
 break them with two spoonfuls of rose-water a little salt and 
 sugar, and half a grated nutmeg. And when ready for the 
 pan put almost a pint of the juice of Spinnach, Beets, Corn 
 sallet, green corn, violet or primrose tender leaves (for any 
 of these you may take your choice) with a very small sprig 
 of tansy and let it be fried so as to look green in the dish. 
 Dish with a strew of sugar of the juice of Orange. Some 
 affect to have it fried a little brown and thick. Ibid. 
 
 SPINAGE PUDDING. Take a sufficient quantity of Spinage, 
 stamp and strain out the juice; put to it grated Manchet; 
 the yolks of three eggs some Marrow shred small, nutmeg, 
 sugar, some Corinths (if you please), a few Carraways, Rose 
 
 M 
 
162 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 or Orange- flower water (as you best like) to make it grateful. 
 Mingle all with a little boiled Cream and set the Dish or 
 Pan in the Oven with a garmint of Puff Paste. It will 
 require but very moderate baking. Ibid. 
 
 PUDDING OF CARROT. Pare off some of the crust of 
 Manchet bread and grate off half as much of the rest as 
 there is of the root, which must also be grated. Then take 
 half a pint of half Cream or New Milk half a Pound of fresh 
 Butter Six new laid Eggs (taking out three of the Whites) 
 mash and mingle them well with the Cream and Butter. 
 Then put in the grated Bread and Carrot with near half a 
 Pound of Sugar and a little Salt ; some grated Nutmeg and 
 beaten Spice and pour all into a convenient dish or pan 
 buttered to keep the ingredients from sticking or burning; 
 set it in a quick oven for about an Hour. And so have you 
 a Composition for any Root Pudding. The Sauce is a little 
 rose-water with Butter beaten together and sweetened with 
 the Sugar Caster. Ibid. 
 
 TART OF HERBS. An herb tart is made thus : Boil 
 fresh cream 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 please) 
 being first parboil'd and chop'd. Than add Macaron or 
 Almonds beaten to a paste, a little sweet Butter the yolk 
 of five eggs (three of the whites rejected). To these add 
 some Corinths plump'd in milk or boild therein. Sugar and 
 Spice at discretion and stirring it all together over the Fire, 
 bake it in the Tart Pan. Ibid. 
 
 A FLOWER PUDDING. Mince cowslip flowers, clove, 
 gillyflowers, rose petals and Spinach of each a handful, 
 take a slice of Manchet (white bread) and scald it with 
 cream. Add a pound of blanch'd Almonds pounded small 
 with Rose-water, a quarter of a Pound of Dates sliced and 
 cut small, the yolks of three eggs, a handful of Currants 
 and sweeten all with Sugar. When boiled pour Rose-water 
 
HERB PUDDINGS 163 
 
 over and scrape Sugar on. Then serve up. From The 
 Receipt Book of John Nott, Cook to the Duke of Bolton, 
 1723- 
 
 To MAKE A CARROT PUDDING. Boil a couple of middling 
 Carrots till they are three quarters boil'd, then shred them 
 very small and mix them with an equal quantity of grated 
 Bread and a pound of Beef -suet shred small, some Cream, 
 half a dozen Eggs, half a Nutmeg, a little Salt and Sugar 
 to your Palate either boil or bake it. If boil'd sauce it 
 with Butter, Lemon Juice and Sugar. Ibid. 
 
 POTATOE PUDDINGS, MADE WITH SWEET-MEATS. (From 
 Mr. Moring of Temple Bar.) Take some clean Potatoes, 
 boil them tender and when they are so, and clean from their 
 Skins, break them in a Marble Mortar, till they become a 
 Pulp ; then put to them, or you might beat with them some 
 slices of candy'd Lemons and Oranges, and beat these 
 together with some Spices, and Lemon-Peel Candy'd. Put 
 to these some Marrow, and as much Sugar, with Orange- 
 Flower Water, as you think fit. Mix all together, and then 
 take some whole candy'd Orange-Peels, and stuff them full 
 of the Meat, and set them upon a Dish in a gentle Oven ; 
 when they have stood half an hour, serve them hot, with a 
 Sauce of Sack and Butter, and fine Sugar grated over them. 
 R. Bradley, The Country Housewife and Lady's Director, 
 1732. 
 
 HERB PUDDING. Take oatmeal groats a quart and soak 
 them all night in three pints of milk, and then the next day 
 break in twelve or fourteen Eggs, season it with Pepper, 
 Salt, Cloves, Mace and Ginger. Then take some Spinach, 
 some Parsley, some Burrage, some Beet Leaves, and some 
 Leek Blades. Mince in a little Thyme and sweet Majoram. 
 Cut the Herbs but not too small. Put in a pound of Raisins 
 and a pound of Currants. Put in a little Flour to bind it 
 and mix it all very well together. Boil it in a cloth buttered 
 and floured and mingle with it a pound and a half of good 
 
164 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 Beef Suet. Tye it very close in your Cloth and boil it very 
 well and when well boiled serve it with plain thick Butter. 
 From The Receipt Book of Charles Carter, Cook to the Duke of 
 Argyll, 1732. 
 
 To MAKE HERB DUMPLINS. Take a Penny Loaf, cut off 
 the out Crust, and the rest in Slices, put to it as much hot 
 Milk as will just wet it, take the Yolks and Whites of six 
 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 take a Handful of the Mildest Herbs you can get, 
 gather them so equal that the Taste of one be not above the 
 other, wash and chop them very small, 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 mix 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 Candy'd Orange, 
 White-wine, Butter and Sugar for Sauce. Sarah Jackson, 
 The Director, 1754. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 1 
 
 HERB DRINKS AND HOME-MADE WINES 
 
 " And then she took him into a room of the eighteenth 
 century, which no longer exists, there or elsewhere save in 
 name. It was the still-room, and on its shelves stood the 
 elixirs and cordials of ancient time : The Elderberry 
 Wine, good, mulled and spiced at Christmas time; the 
 Blackberry Wine; the home-made Distilled Waters; 
 Lavender Water; Hungary Water; Cyprus Water, and 
 the Divine Cordial itself, which takes three seasons to 
 complete, and require all the flowers of Spring, Summer 
 and Autumn," W. BESANT. 
 
 POSSET OF HERBS. Take a fair scoured skellet, put in 
 some milk into it and some rosemary ; the rosemary being 
 well boiled in it, take it out and have some ale or beer in a 
 pot, put to it the milk and sugar (or none). 
 
 Thus of thyme, cardus, camomile, mint or marigold 
 flowers. The Art and Mystery of Cookery. Approved by 
 the fifty-five years' experience and industry of Robert 
 May in his attendance on several persons of great honour, 
 1671. 
 
 AN EXCELLENT DRINK. Take a handful of fennel roots, 
 as much parsley roots, half a handful of Borage roots and 
 put out the pith of all the said roots, then take half a hand- 
 ful of pennyroyal, as much of violet leaves, as much succory 
 and endive, hollyhock leaves, mallow leaves and red garden 
 mints, of all these the like quantity as of these next before, 
 half a handful of liquorice sticks scraped, bruised and beaten 
 to fine powder, a gallon of fair running water. Boyle 
 therein all these simples and boyle these seedes with them, 
 that is three spoonfulls of anniseeds, as much fennel 
 seedes, the like of coriander seed and cummon seed, a good 
 
 165 
 
166 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 handful of Dandelion rootes and so boyle altogether from a 
 gallon to a pottle. The Good Housewife's Jewell, 1585. 
 
 To MAKE A TYSAND. Take borage, sorrell, endive, 
 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 gallon to three pintes and strain. The Good 
 Housewife's Handmaid, 1588. 
 
 THE DRINKE. -Take Rosemary with Tyme and seeth them 
 in faire water, with as much sugar as will make it sweet, 
 from a quart to a pint. Use the quantity of hearbes accord- 
 ing to your discretion so that it may savour well of the 
 hearbes and so use it nine mornings six or seven spoonfuls 
 at a time. Ibid. 
 
 ROSA-SOLIS. Take of the Hearbe Rosa-Solis, gathered 
 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 pound and a halfe ; red Rose- 
 leaves, greene or dryed, foure handfuls; steep all these in 
 a gallon of good Aqua Composita, in a glasse close stopped 
 with wax, during twenty dayes : shake it well together once 
 every two days. Your sugar must be powdered, your 
 spices bruised onely, or grossely beaten ; your Dates cut in 
 long slices, the stones taken away. 
 
 If you adde two or three graines of Amber-greece, and as 
 much Musk, in your glasse, among the rest of the ingredients, 
 it will have a pleasant smell. Some adde the Gum Amber, 
 with corell and pearle finely powdered and fine leafe-gold. 
 Some used to boile Ferdinande-buck in Rose-water till 
 they have purchased a faire, deep, crimson colour; and 
 when the same is cold, they colour their Rosa-Solis and 
 Aqua Rubea therewith. Sir Hugh Platt, Delights for Ladies, 
 1594- 
 
 SPIRIT OF WINE (tasting of what vegetable you please). 
 Macerate Rosemary, Sage, sweet Fennell seeds, Lemmon 
 
HERB DRINKS AND HOME-MADE WINES 167 
 
 or Orange pills, etc., in spirit of wine a day or two, and then 
 distil it over again, unless you had rather have it in his 
 proper colour, for so you shall have it upon the first infusion 
 without any further distillation, and some young Alchymists 
 doe hold these for the true spirits of vegetables. Ibid. 
 
 How to make a SOUVERAIGNE WATER that Master Doctor 
 Stevens, Physitian, a man of great knowledge and cunning 
 did practice and used of long experience and therewith did 
 very many cures, and kept it always secret, till of late, a 
 little before his death, a special friend of his did get it in 
 writing of him. 
 
 Take a gallon of good Gascoine Wine, then take ginger, 
 camomile, cinnamon, nutmegs, cloves, mace, annis seeds, 
 fennell seeds, carroway seeds, of every of them a dramme, 
 then take sage, minte, red Roses, Tyme, Pellitory of the 
 Wall, wild margerum, Rosemary, wild Tyme, Camomile, and 
 lavender of every one of them one handfull, then beat the 
 spices small, and bruise the hearbes, and put all into the 
 wine, and let it stand twelve hours, stirring it divers times ; 
 then still it in a Limbeck, and keepe the first pinte of the 
 water, for it is the best, then will come a seconde water, 
 which is not so good as the first. 
 
 The vertues of these waters be these it comforteth the 
 spirites, and preserveth one greatly, and whoso useth this 
 water ever and anon and not too ofte it preserveth him in 
 good liking and shall make one seeme young very long. You 
 must take one spoonfull of this water fasting. John 
 Partridge, The Treasurie of Commodius Conceits and Hidden 
 Secrets, 1586. 
 
 TO MAKE A HORDEAT OR MUNDIFIED BARLEY. Take two 
 
 ounces of French Barly, boyle it upon a cleare fire in three 
 quarters of a pint of water three or four houres, until that 
 there bee but a porringer of liquor left, then straine it without 
 pressing the Barly ; then peele and beate in the morter two 
 ounces of sweet Almonds, pouring this liquor upon them as 
 aforesaid, then straine and presse them very hard, and boyle 
 
168 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 it a little, and dissolve in it two ounces of fine sugar, and 
 take it when you goe to bed. 
 
 There are those also that beat their Early in the Morter 
 with the Almonds, and presse it hard, which you may doe if 
 you please. The Charitable Physitian, by Philbert Guibert, 
 Physitian Regent in Paris, 1639. 
 
 DR. BUTLER'S CORDIAL WATER against Melancholy, etc. 
 Most Approved. Take the flowers of Cowslips, Marigolds, 
 Pinks, Clove gillyflowers, single stock gillyflowers, of each 
 four handfuls, the flowers of Rosemary, Damask Roses, of 
 each three handfuls, Borage and Bugloss flowers, and Balm 
 leaves, of each two handfuls, put them in a quart of Canary 
 wine into a great bottle or jugge close stopped with a cork, 
 sometimes stirring the flowers and wine together, adding to 
 them Anniseeds bruised one dram, two nutmegs sliced, 
 English Saffron two pennyworth ; after some time infusion, 
 distil them in a cold still with a hot fire, hanging at the nose 
 of the Still Ambergreece and Musk, of each one grain, then 
 to the distilled water put white sugar-candy finely beaten 
 six ounces, and put the glass wherein they are, into hot 
 water for one hour. Take of this water at one time 
 three spoonfuls thrice a week, or when you are ill. It 
 cureth all Melancholy, fumes, and infinitely comforts the 
 spirits. The Queen's Closet Opened, by W. M., Cook to 
 Queen Henrietta Maria, 1655. 
 
 THE HEARBS TO BE DISTILLED FOR USQUABATH. Take 
 Agrimony, Fumitory, Betony, Bugloss, Wormwood, Hart's 
 tongue, Carduus Benedictus, Rosemary, Angelica, Tormentil, 
 of each of these for every gallon of Ale one handful, Anni- 
 seeds and Liquorice well bruised half a pound. Still all these 
 together, and when it is stilled you must infuse Cinamon, 
 Nutmeg, Mace, Liquorice, Dates, and Raysins of the Sun, 
 and Sugar what quantity you please. The infusion must 
 be till the colour please you. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE HYPOCRAS. Take four gallons of Claret Wine, 
 eight ounces ot Cinamon, and Oranges, of Ginger, Cloves, 
 
HERB DRINKS AND HOME-MADE WINES 169 
 
 and Nutmegs a small quantity, Sugar six pound, three sprigs 
 of Rosemary, bruise all the spices somewhat small, and so 
 put them into the Wine, and keep them close stopped, and 
 often shaked together a day or two, then let it run through 
 a jelly bagge twice or thrice with a quart of new milk. 
 The Queen's Closet Opened, by W. M., Cook to Queen 
 Henrietta Maria, 1655. 
 
 A COMFORTABLE CORDIAL TO CHEER THE HEART. Take 
 
 one ounce of conserve of gilliflowers, four grains of the best 
 Musk bruised as fine as flower, then put into a little tin pot 
 and keep it till you have need to make this Cordial follow- 
 ing : Take the quantity of one nutmeg out of your tin 
 pot, put to it one spoonful of Cinnamon-water, and one 
 spoonful of the Sirup of Gilliflowers, Ambergris, mix all these 
 together, and drink them in the morning, fasting three or 
 four hours, this is most comfortable. A Choice Manual of 
 Secrets in Physick, by Elizabeth Grey, Countess of Kent, 
 1653- 
 
 HYDROMEL AS I MADE IT WEAK FOR THE QUEEN MOTHER. 
 Take eighteen quarts of spring water, and one quart of honey, 
 when the water is warm put the honey into it. When it 
 boileth up, skim it very well and continue skimming it as 
 long as any scum will rise. Then put in one Race of Ginger 
 (sliced in thin slices), four Cloves, and a little sprig of green 
 Rosemary. Let these boil in the liquor so long till in all it 
 have boiled one hour. Then set it to cool, till it be blood- 
 warm, and then put to it a spoonful of Ale-yest. When it 
 is worked up, put it into a vessel of a fit size, and after two 
 or three days, bottle it up. You may drink it after six 
 weeks or two months. The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby 
 Opened, 1669. 
 
 To MAKE HYPOCRAS PRESENTLY. Take twelve drops of 
 Oyl of Cloves, eight of Oyl of Nutmegs, and five of Oyl of 
 Cinamon. Put them into a large strong drinking glass, 
 and mingle well with them two ounces of the purest double 
 
170 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 refined sugar in powder. Then take twenty drops of Rose- 
 water 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 make it sweet 
 with sugar besides, it will taste like excellent Hypocras. 
 Ibid. 
 
 APPLE DRINK WITH SUGAR, HONEY, ETC. A very pleasant 
 drink is made of Apples, thus : Boil sliced Apples in water 
 to make the water strong of Apples, as when you make to 
 drink it for coolness and pleasure. Sweeten it with sugar 
 to your taste, such a quantity of sliced apples as would 
 make so much water strong enough of apples, and then 
 bottle it up close for three or four months. There will come 
 a thick mother at the top, which being taken off, all the rest 
 will be very clear, and quick and pleasant to the taste, 
 beyond any Cider. It will be the better to most taste, if 
 you put a very little Rosemary into the Liquor, when you 
 boil it and a little Limon peel into each bottle, when you 
 bottle it up. Ibid. 
 
 CINAMON WATER. Make about 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, and 
 let it stand till it be cool. Then strain it out through a clean 
 cloth and so set it to cool and drink it when you please. 
 A Perfect School of Instructions for the Officers of the Month, 
 by Giles Rose, one of the Master Cooks to Charles II, 1682. 
 
 HYPOCRAS OF WHITE WINE. 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 of lemon when it 
 hath stood and infused altogether the space of three or four 
 hours. That of Claret may be made the same way.- Ibid. 
 
HERB DRINKS AND HOME-MADE WINES 171 
 
 WINE FOR THE GODS. Take two great lemons, peel them 
 and cut them in slices with two Pippens pared and sliced 
 like your lemons, put all this into a dish with three quarters 
 of a pound of sugar in powder, a pint of Burgundy Wine, 
 six cloves, a little orange-flower water. Cover this up and 
 let it steep two or three hours then pass it through a bag as 
 you do Hypo eras and it will be most excellent. Ibid. 
 
 GOOD ADVICE TO ALL ENGLISH PEOPLE TO MAKE A DRINKE 
 THEMSELVES, WHICH THEY MAY DRINK AS THEY DRINK 
 
 COFFEE, CHOCOLET AND TEA. Take a quart of spring or 
 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 
 of Rosemary, with fifteen or twenty grains of good English 
 Saffron, and let it infuse hot as before, for about a quarter 
 of an hour close stopped; then pour 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 spring and hereafter 
 than you have ever done by those liquors that so many 
 commend ; but the Virtues of these Plants are so universally 
 known to be of such admirable Qualities, that I shall say 
 the less in the Praise of them, but something I 'shall say of 
 them that they are the best Plants that grow in this Island, 
 which is a Climate and Country which I may boldly say 
 is so well furnished with Herbs and Plants which for Virtue 
 and Goodness is not inferior to any Country in the whole 
 World, and these I have pitched upon are of its choicest 
 Product. From The Receipt Book of Henry Howard, Free 
 Cook of London and Cook to the Duke of Ormond, 1710. 
 
 RED HIPPOCRAS. Put a gallon of Claret into an earthen 
 vessel, put to it two pounds of sugar beaten in a mortar, 
 a dozen of sweet almonds stampt 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 Mace, and some 
 
i;2 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 Coriander seeds, all these bruised. Cover the vessel close 
 and let all these infuse for an hour, stirring it often with a 
 spoon, that the sugar may dissolve and incorporate. Then 
 add a glass of milk, and pass all through the straining bag. 
 From The Receipt Book of Charles Carter, Cook to the Duke 
 of Argyll, 1732. 
 
 To MAKE MILK-WATER. Take a pound of Wormwood, 
 Spear-mint, Balm, and two pounds of Carduus shred a little, 
 put them into a still, with two gallons of milk, and distil 
 them gently, it is an excellent drink to quench thirst. Ibid. 
 
 Another way. Take a handful of Spear-mint, two hand- 
 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 into a cold Still, with two gallons of 
 milk or clarified whey, and distil it as long as it runs good. 
 Ibid. 
 
 A CORDIAL MINT WATER. Strip Mint from the stalks, 
 weigh two pounds of the leaves and tops, add two pounds 
 of Raisins of the Sun stoned, of Carraway seeds, and anniseeds 
 of each two ounces and half a pound of Liquorice sliced thin ; 
 infuse these in two gallons of good Claret, and distil it in an 
 Alembick or cold Still; let it drop on some fine Sugar 
 through a Bag of Saffron. Ibid. 
 
 CURRANT WATER. 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 straining bag until it be clear. Put in a cool 
 place and give it to drink. L. Lemery, A Treatise of all sorts 
 of Foods, 1745. 
 
 RASPBERRY WATER. Take a pound of raspberries to a 
 quart of water, if the raspberries be good, three quarters of 
 a pound will be sufficient with five ounces of sugar ; it needs 
 no lemon. The sugar being melted put it through a strain- 
 ing bag until it runs clear, put in a cool place and give it to 
 drink. Ibid. 
 
HERB DRINKS AND HOME-MADE WINES 173 
 
 APPLE, PEACH OR PEAR WATER. In a quart of water put 
 five or six apricots, peaches or pears according to their big- 
 ness augmenting or diminishing; cut them in pieces into 
 the water. Boil them in it, put in four or five ounces of 
 sugar. 
 
 Being cold put it through a straining bag until it be clear. 
 Put it to cool and give it to drink. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE ORANGE-FLOWER BRANDY. Take a gallon of 
 French Brandy, boil a pound of orange flowers a little while, 
 and put them in, save the water and with that make a syrup 
 to sweeten it. E. Smith, The Compleat Housewife, 1736. 
 
 THE SAFFRON CORDIAL. Fill a large still with marigold 
 flowers, adding to them of nutmegs, mace, and English 
 Saffron, of each an ounce ; then take three pints of muscadine, 
 or Malaga sack, and with a sprig of rosemary dash it on the 
 flowers; then distil it off with a slow fire, and let it drop 
 on white sugar-candy, draw it off till it begins to be sour ; 
 save a pint of the first running to mix with the other waters 
 on an extraordinary occasion, mix the rest together to drink 
 it by itself. This Cordial is excellent in fainting and for 
 the small-pox or ague ; take five or six spoonfuls at a time. 
 Ibid. 
 
 BLACK CHERRY WATER FOR CHILDREN. Take six pounds 
 of black cherries and bruise them small, then put to them 
 the tops of rosemary, sweet marjoram, spearmint, angelica, 
 balm, marigold flowers, of each a handful, dried violets an 
 ounce, aniseeds and sweet fennell seeds, of each half an ounce 
 bruised ; cut the herbs small, mix them together, and distil 
 them off in a cold still. This water is excellent for children, 
 giving them two or three spoonfuls at a time. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE WHITE CAUDLE. Take four spoonfuls of oat- 
 meal, two blades of mace, a piece of lemon-peel, cloves and 
 ginger, of each a quarter of an ounce; put these into two 
 quarts of water, and let it boil about an hour, stirring it 
 often ; then strain it out, and add to every quart half a pint 
 of wine, some grated nutmeg and sugar. Ibid. 
 
174 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 To MAKE BITTERS. Take a quart of the best French 
 Brandy, a quarter of an ounce of Saffron, half an ounce of 
 gentian roots sliced thin, two pennyworth of Cochineal, and 
 a small quantity of orange-peel, put them in a bottle, 
 and let them stand two or three days. Sarah Jackson, 
 The Director, 1754. 
 
 SEED WATER. Take a spoonful of Coriander seed, half 
 a spoonful of carraway seed, bruised and boiled in a pint of 
 water, then strain it, and bruise it with the yolk of an egg ; 
 mix it with sack and double refined sugar, according to your 
 palate. The New Art of Cookery, by Richard Briggs, many 
 years Cook at the Globe Tavern, Fleet Street, the White 
 Hart Tavern, Holborn, and at the Temple Coffee House, 
 1788. 
 
 ORANGE SHRUB. Break a hundred pounds of loaf sugar 
 in small pieces, put it into twenty gallons of water, boil it 
 till the sugar is melted, skim it well, and put it in a tub to 
 cool; when cold, put it into a cask, with thirty gallons of 
 good Jamaica Rum, and fifteen gallons of orange juice 
 (mind to strain all the seeds out of the juice), mix them well 
 together, then beat up the whites of six eggs very well, stir 
 them well in, let it stand a week to fine, and then draw it off 
 for use. By the same rules you may make any quantity 
 you want. Ibid. 
 
 WINE A DELICIOUS SORT. Cut a couple of Pippens and a 
 couple of Lemons into slices into a Dish, with half a pound 
 of fine Sugar ; a quart of good red Port Wine, half a dozen 
 Cloves, some Cinnamon powdered, and Orange-Flower 
 water; cover these and let them infuse for three or four 
 hours; then strain it through a bag, and give it a flavour 
 with Musk or Amber, as you please. From The Receipt 
 Book of John Nott, Cook to the Duke of Bolton, 1723. 
 
 LEMON WINE. Take a dozen of large Malaga Lemons, 
 pare off the Rind, cut the Lemons and squeeze out the Juice, 
 put the Rind to steep, and add to it two quarts of Brandy ; 
 
HERB DRINKS AND HOME-MADE WINES 175 
 
 let it stand in an earthern Vessel 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 sweeten the 
 whole to your palate. Boil the Water, the Lemons and the 
 Sugar together, and let it stand till it is cool ; then add 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 off for use. Let the Bottles 
 be well cork'd and kept cool, and it will be fit to drink in a 
 month or six weeks. From The Receipt Book of Charles 
 Carter, Cook to the Duke of Argyll, 1732. 
 
 DOCTOR HARVEY'S PLEASANT WATER-CIDER, whereof he 
 used to drink much, making it his ordinary drink. Take 
 one Bushel of Pippins, cut them into slices with the Parings 
 and Cores; boil them in twelve gallons of water, till the 
 goodness of them be in the water ; and that consumed about 
 three gallons, then put it into an Hypo eras-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 pint of Ale- 
 yest to it, and set it a working two nights and days. Then 
 skim off the yest clean, and put it into bottles, and let it 
 stand two or three days, till the yest fall dead at the top ; 
 then take it off clean with a knife, and fill it up a little within 
 the neck (that is to say that a little about a finger's breadth 
 of the neck be empty, between the superficies of the Liquor, 
 and 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 six weeks. 
 The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Opened, 1699. 
 
 To MAKE RASPBERRY WINE. Take a gallon of good 
 Rhenish Wine, put into it as much Rasberries very ripe as 
 will make it strong, put it in an earthen pot, and let it stand 
 two days; then pour your Wine from the Rasberries, and 
 put into every bottle two ounces of sugar. Stop it up and 
 keep it by you. The Queen's Closet Opened, by W. M., Cook 
 to Queen Henrietta Maria, 1655. 
 
i;6 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 SEVERAL SORTS OF MEATH, small and strong. (Small). 
 Take ten gallons of water, and five quarts of honey, with a 
 little Rosemary, more Sweet-bryar, some Balme, Burnet, 
 Cloves, less Ginger, Lemon Peel, Tun it with a little Barm ; 
 let it remain a week in the barrel with a bag of Elder-flowers, 
 then bottle it. 
 
 (2) (Small). Take ten quarts of water, and one of honey, 
 Balm a little; Mint, Cloves, Limon-peel, Elder-flowers, a 
 little Ginger; wrought with a little yest, bottle it after a 
 night working. 
 
 (3) (Strong). Take ten gallons of water, thirteen quarts 
 of honey, with Angelica, Borrage and Bugloss, Rosemary, 
 Balm, and Sweet-bryar, pour it into a barrel, upon three 
 spoonfuls of yest ; hang in a bag Cloves, Elder-flowers and 
 a little Ginger. The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Opened, 
 1699. 
 
 To MAKE WHITE METHEGLIN. Take of Sweet-bryar a 
 great handful; of Violet-flowers, Sweet-marjoram, Straw- 
 berry-leaves, Violet leaves, and one handful, Agrimony, 
 Bugloss, Borrage, and half a handful Rosemary; four 
 branches, Gillyflowers (the Yellow wall-flowers with great 
 tops), Anniseeds, Fennel, and Caraway, of each a spoonful, 
 two large Mace. Boil all these in twelve gallons of water 
 for the space of an hour; then strain it, and let it stand 
 until it be Milk-warm. Then put in as much honey as will 
 carry an Egge to the breadth of sixpence 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 as 
 you do Beer, and tun it. Then hang in -the midst of the 
 vessel a little bag with a Nutmeg quartered, a Race of 
 Ginger sliced, a little Cinnamon, and mace whole, and three 
 grains of Musk in a cloth put into the bag amongst the rest 
 of the Spices. Put a stone in the bag, to keep it in the midst 
 of the Liquor. This quantity took up three gallons of honey ; 
 therefore be sure to have four in readiness. Ibid. 
 
 METHEGLIN (composed by myself out of sundry receipts). 
 In sixty gallons of water, boil ten handfuls of Sweet-bryar 
 
HERB DRINKS AND HOME-MADE WINES 177 
 
 leaves; Eyebright, Liverwort, Agrimony, Scabious, Balme, 
 Wood-bettony, Strawberry-leaves, Burnet, of each four 
 handfuls ; of Rosemary, three handfuls ; of Mint, Angelica, 
 Bayes and Wild-thyme, Sweet Marjoram, of each two 
 handfuls; six Eringo roots. When the water hath taken 
 out the virtue of the herbs and roots, let it settle, and the 
 next day pour off the clear, and in every three gallons of it 
 boil one of honey, scumming it well, and putting in a little 
 cold water now and then to make the scum rise, as also some 
 Whites of Eggs. When it is clear scummed, take it off, 
 and let it cool, then work it with Ale-yest ; tun it up, and 
 hang in it a bag with Ginger, Cinamon, Cloves and Cardamon, 
 and as it worketh over, put in some strong honey drink 
 warmed. When it works no more, stop it up close. 
 
 In twenty gallons of water boil Sweet-bryar leaves, Eye- 
 bright, Rosemary, Bayes, Clove-gillyflowers, of each five 
 handfuls, and four Eringo-roots. To every two gallons and 
 a half of this decoction, put one gallon of honey; boil it, 
 etc. When it is tunned up, hang in it a bag containing five 
 handfuls of Clove-gillyflowers, and sufficient quantity of the 
 spices above. 
 
 In both these receipts, the quantity of the herbs is too 
 great, the strong herbs preserve the drink, and make it 
 nobler. Use Marjoram and Thyme in little quantity in all. 
 Ibid 
 
 To MAKE TURNIP DRINK. Pound your turnips and press 
 them through a Hair-bag; then let it stand a Day or two 
 in the open Tun, or only covered with a cloth or boards to 
 keep it from the Dust, or in a Hogshead or other Vessel not 
 quite full, with an open Bung, till the more gross parts 
 subside ; then draw it off, and put it into the Vessels you 
 design to keep it in longer, leaving them about an eighth part 
 empty. Let the Vessels stand in a Cellar, with the Bung 
 open, or covered only with a loose Cover, that there may be a 
 free evaporation of the volatile particles of the Liquor. If 
 you make this drink in very cold Weather, it will be 
 requisite to treat the Liquor in a Copper, something more 
 
178 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 than Blood-warm to make it ferment ; or you may put the 
 yeast to it for the same purpose. From The Receipt Book of 
 John Nott, Cook to the Duke of Bolton, 1723. 
 
 RAISIN WINE. Take twelve pounds of Raisins of the Sun 
 and stone them, six pounds of White sugar, the juice of a 
 dozen Lemons and the peels of six, put them into a pot with 
 a cover with twelve gallons of water, let 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 should break them, set 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-gillyflowers. Ibid. 
 
 MORELLO WINE. Take twenty-four Pound of Morello 
 Cherries pull off the stalkes, and bruise them so that the 
 stones may be broken, press out the juice and put it to nine 
 or ten gallons of White- Wine. Put the skins 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 month or more. You 
 may also put in spices if you please but the wine will be very 
 pleasant without them. Ibid. 
 
 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 Cask do not 
 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 
 and Birch instead of the inward Rind. Our English Mum- 
 makers use Sassafras and ginger, the Rind of Walnut Tree, 
 Elecampane Root, Water Cresses, and Horse Radish root 
 rasp'd, Betony, Burnet, Marjoram, Mother of Thyme, 
 Pennyroyal of each a small handful, Elder-flowers a handful, 
 of Blessed Thistle a handful, of Barberries bruised half an 
 ounce, of Cardamums bruised an ounce and a half. All 
 these ingredients are to be put in when the liquor has wrought 
 
HERB DRINKS AND HOME-MADE WINES 179 
 
 a while and after they are in let it work over the Vessel as 
 little as may be when it has done working. Fill up the cask 
 and put into it five new-laid eggs not broken nor crack'd, 
 stop it close and it will be fit to drink in two years. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE MEAD. Set three gallons of water on the fire, 
 put in Balm, Lemon, Thyme, Sweet Marjoram, and Rose- 
 mary, let them boil some time, then put in five or six hand- 
 fuls of Borrage and Bugloss, and when they have boiled a 
 little take them off, strain them and set the liquor by to 
 settle for a Night. Then to every gallon of liquor add three 
 Pound of Honey ; put on the Fire, boil and scum as long as 
 any scum rises; then take thirty cloves, two ounces of 
 Nutmegs, and six ounces of Ginger, beat them, put them in 
 a Bag and boil them in the liquor, a little before you take 
 it off the Fire. Then empty it into a vessel, put to it a pint 
 and a half of Ale yeast, lay a sheet over it and a Blanket 
 upon that. Let it work sufficiently, then tun it, hang the 
 Bag of Spice in the Cask, and stop it up close for six or 
 seven weeks; then bottle it off with some sugar. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE WHITE MEAD. Put a handful of Thyme, 
 Rosemary, Sweet Briar, Eyebright, Wood Betony, Scabious, 
 Roman Wormwood, Agrimony (of each a like quantity), and 
 steep for twenty-four hours in a Wooden bowl, uncovered, 
 then boil them in another water till it be very high coloured ; 
 then change the water and boil them till it is coloured green, 
 and as long as any green mess remain, then set it by for 
 twenty-four hours more. Then strain the liquor from the 
 Herbs and put a Pound of Honey to every two Quarts of 
 the liquor and when it will bear an egg to three pence 
 breadth above the water work it together till the Honey 
 is all dissolved ; then let it settle for a Night ; the next day 
 boil it with the shells and whites of half a dozen eggs ; then 
 strain it, set it by to cool ; then put it up into the Cask, then 
 bruise cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, mace, and put them in a 
 Bag and hang them in the Cask and stop it up. 
 
 If you would have it fit to drink in a little time, beat 
 together the whites of three or four eggs; add to them a 
 
i8o A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 spoonful of yeast, two spoonfuls of Honey, and put them 
 into the Cask and then temper some Clay with Bay salt and 
 stop it up close. Ibid. 
 
 CHERRY WINE. Pick off the stalks and stone your 
 cherries, press out the juice, and to each gallon put two 
 pounds of Sugar, put it in a Cask, set it a working, and when 
 it has done, stop it up for two months, then bottle it off, 
 putting a little Sugar, and after it has stood six weeks, it 
 will be fit for use. From The Receipt Book of Charles Carter, 
 Cook to the Duke of Argyll, 1723. 
 
 GOOSEBERRY WINE. Let your Gooseberries be gathered 
 before they are too ripe, and to every twelve pounds of 
 gooseberries take six pounds of Sugar and a gallon of Water. 
 Stamp the Gooseberries and let them steep in the Water 
 twenty-four Hours; then strain them and put 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 
 off, or use Isinglass if it be not sufficiently fine. 
 
 PEARL GOOSEBERRY WINE. Bruise the Gooseberries 
 and let them stand all night ; the next morning let them be 
 squeezed or pressed out, set the Liquor to settle for six or 
 eight hours, then pour off so much as is clear, and to every 
 gallon of Liquor put three pounds of double-refined Sugar, 
 broken 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-refined 
 Sugar into each Bottle. This is called the fine Gooseberry 
 Wine. Ibid. 
 
 DAMSON WINE. Put two pounds and a half of Sugar to 
 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 Damsons stoned. Boil them till the Liquor is 
 of very fine colour, then strain it through a fine sieve, work 
 it for three or four days in an open Vessel, then pour it off 
 
HERB DRINKS AND HOME-MADE WINES 181 
 
 from the Lees and work it in that Vessel as long as it will 
 work, then stop it up for six or eight months; at which 
 time, if it be fine, you may bottle it off, and it will keep a 
 year or two. Ibid. 
 
 BLACK CHERRY WINE. Boil three gallons of Spring 
 water for an Hour, then bruise twelve pounds of Black 
 cherries; but don't break the stones; pour the Water 
 boiling hot on the Cherries; stir the Cherries well in the 
 Water, and let it stand for twenty-four Hours ; then strain 
 it off, and to every gallon put near two pounds of good 
 Sugar, mix it well with the Liquor, and let it stand one Day 
 longer; then pour it off clear into the Vessel, and stop it 
 close. Let it be very fine before you draw it off in Bottles. 
 Ibid. 
 
 MORELLO CHERRY WINE is made after the same 
 manner, the fruit being picked and bruised without breaking 
 the stones. This mash being let stand in an open Vessel 
 for twenty-four hours, must be afterwards press'd in a Hair 
 Bag, twenty-two pounds of fine sugar put to every gallon 
 of Liquor, and after it has done working, being stopp'd up 
 close for three or four months, it may be bottled and will 
 be fit for drinking in two months. Ibid. 
 
 APRICOT WINE. Take twelve pounds of ripe Apricots, 
 stone and pare them fine, put six pounds of good Sugar into 
 seven quarts of Water, boil them together and as the scum 
 rises take it off, and when it has been well scummed, slip in 
 the Apricots, and boil them till they become tender, then 
 take them out, and if you please you may put in a Sprig or 
 two of flowered Clary, and let it have a boil or two more, and 
 when it is cold Bottle it up, and in six months it will be fit 
 for drinking; but the longer it is kept the better it will be, 
 for it will hold good for two years and more. After it has 
 been Bottled a Week, you should try if there be any settle- 
 ment, and if so, pour the liquor off into fresh Bottles, which 
 may be afterwards separated again as it grows fine. The 
 Apricots that are taken out may be made into marmalade, 
 
182 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 and will be very good for present spending; but will not 
 keep long, unless they be used as in Preserving. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE FRONTINIAC WINE. Take six gallons of water 
 and twelve pounds of White Sugar, and six pounds of 
 Raisins of the Sun cut small ; boil these together an hour ; 
 then take of the Flowers of Elder, when they are falling 
 off and will shake off, the quantity of half a peck ; put them 
 in the liquor when 'tis almost cold, the next Day put in six 
 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. Smith, The Compleat Housewife, 1736. 
 
 To MAKE ENGLISH CHAMPAYNE OR THE FINE CURRANT 
 WINE. 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, pick'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 barrel 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 bottle put a small lump of double-refined Sugar. 
 This is excellent Wine and has a beautiful colour. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE SARAGOSSA WINE OR ENGLISH SACK. To every 
 quart of water, put a sprig of Rue and to every gallon a 
 handful of Fennel roots, boil these half an hour, 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 Vessel and then Bottle it. 
 'Tis a very good sack. Ibid. 
 
 MOUNTAIN WINE. Pick out the big stalks of your Malaga 
 Raisins, then chop them very small, five gallons to every 
 gallon of Spring water, let them steep a Fortnight or more, 
 squeeze out the Liquor, and barrel it in the Vessel fit for it ; 
 
HERB DRINKS AND HOME-MADE WINES 183 
 
 first fume the Vessel with Brimstone; don't stop it up till 
 the hissing is over. Ibid. 
 
 BIRCH WINE. The season for procuring the liquors from 
 the Birch trees is in the beginning of March, while the sap 
 is rising, and before the leaves shoot out ; for when the sap 
 is come forward and the leaves appear, the juice, by being 
 long digested in the bark, grows thick and coloured, which 
 before is thin and clear. 
 
 The method of procuring the juice is by boring holes in 
 the body of the tree, and putting in fossets, which are 
 commonly made of the branches of elder, the pith being 
 taken out. You may, without hurting the tree, if large, tap 
 it in several places, four or five at a time ; and by that means 
 save from a good many trees several gallons every day. 
 If you have not enough in one day, the bottles, in which it 
 drops, must be cork'd close, and rosined or waxed ; however, 
 make use of it as soon as you can. Take the sap and boil 
 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 hour, 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 
 stand five or six days, stirring it often, then take such a 
 cask as will hold the liquor; fire a large match dipped in 
 brimstone and throw it into the cask, stop it close till the 
 match is extinguished ; 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 off. Ibid. 
 
 QUINCE WINE. Gather the quinces when dry and full 
 ripe. Take twenty large quinces, wipe them clean with a 
 coarse cloth, and grate them with a large grater or rasp, as 
 near the core as you can, but none of the core ; boil a gallon 
 of spring water throwing 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-refined sugar; pare 
 the peel of two large lemons, throw in and squeeze the juice 
 through a sieve, and stir it about till it is very cool ; then 
 
184 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 toast a little bit of bread, very thin and brown, rub a little 
 yeast 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 coarse cloth. Ibid. 
 
 TURNIP WINE. Take a good many turnips, pare, slice, 
 and put them in a cyder-press, and press out all the juice 
 very well ; to every gallon of juice put three pounds of lump 
 sugar; have a vessel ready, just big enough to hold the 
 juice; put your sugar into a vessel; and also to every 
 gallon of juice half a pint of brandy ; pour in the juice, and 
 lay something over the bung for a week, to see if it works ; 
 if it does, you must not bung it down till it has done work- 
 ing ; then stop it close for three months, and draw it off in 
 another vessel ; when it is fine, bottle it off. The New Art of 
 Cookery, by R. Briggs, many years Cook at the Globe Tavern, 
 Fleet Street, the White Hart Tavern, Holborn, and now at 
 the Temple Coffee House, London, 1788. 
 
 CURRANT WINE. Gather your currants on a fine dry day, 
 when the fruit is full ripe, strip them, put them in a large 
 pan, and bruise them with a wooden pestle ; let them stand 
 in a pan or tub twenty-four hours to ferment ; then run it 
 through a hair sieve, and do not let your hand touch the 
 liquor, to every gallon of this liquor put two pounds and a 
 half of white sugar, stir it well together, and put it into your 
 vessel ; to every six gallons put in a quart of brandy, and let 
 it stand six 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 bottles. Ibid. 
 
 RED CURRANT WINE. Four gallons of cold water to four 
 of bruised currants, picked carefully from their stalks; let 
 them stand together for four days, then strain them off, 
 mix three pounds and a half of brown sugar or white sugar 
 which is greatly to be preferred, to each gallon of diluted 
 
HERB DRINKS AND HOME-MADE WINES 185 
 
 currant juice ; stir it well, then put it into a Cask and add 
 also a piece of toasted bread spread over with yeast which 
 will ferment it ; after this is over bring it up very light and 
 it will be ready for bottling off in six months and for domestic 
 use after six months keeping in the bottle. 
 
 The white currant alone produces the best wine when it 
 is clear like Champayne and sparkles as much, but it is 
 oftener made of red currants when it has the appearance of 
 mountain grape wine, or the two are mixed together. These 
 home made wines are an excellent substitute for the more 
 expensive foreign provided they were kept a sufficient 
 length of time and properly fermented. R. Thornton, The 
 Family Herbal, 1810. 
 
 BLACK CURRANT WINE. The Currants should be gathered 
 on a dry day when quite ripe ; strip them, put them into a 
 large pan, bruise them with a wooden pestle and let them 
 stand twenty-four hours to ferment, then rub it through a 
 hair sieve, but do not let the hand touch the liquor. To 
 every gallon of this liquor stir in two pounds and a half of 
 white sugar, and put it into a vessel, to every six gallons 
 add one quart of brandy, and let it stand six weeks, if fine 
 bottle it ; if not, draw it off clear into another vessel or large 
 bottles, and in a fortnight bottle it up for use. Ibid. 
 
 RAISIN WINE. To one gallon of water put six gallons of 
 sun raisins, let it stand in a tub twelve days, stir frequently, 
 press the raisins as dry as possible, and put the liquor into 
 a Cask of the proper size : to ten gallons put a quart of 
 brandy, if you wish to make it very rich you may put 
 seven pounds of raisins to a gallon and dissolve five pounds 
 of sugar-candy in the liquor, before you put it into the 
 barrels ; when thus made it must stand longer and is scarcely 
 inferior to any foreign wine. Ibid. 
 
 ORANGE BRANDY. Four quarts of the best pale brandy, 
 two and a half pounds fine white sugar, the juice of twelve 
 Seville oranges, the rinds of ten, and a quart of milk. Put 
 the brandy into a large jar or open vessel with a cover. 
 
186 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 Add the juice and rind of the oranges and then the sugar. 
 Heat the milk and pour it boiling over the other ingredients 
 in the pan. Let the liquid remain six or eight days, stirring 
 thoroughly each day, strain into bottles and cork well. 
 E. G. Hayden, Travels round our Village. 
 
 BLACK CURRANT WINE. To every three quarts of juice 
 allow the same amount of water unboiled, and to every 
 three quarts of the liquid add three pounds very pure moist 
 sugar. Put all into a Cask, reserving a little for filling 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. Keep 
 ten or twelve months before drinking. Ibid. 
 
 SLOE GIN. To every gallon of Sloes add the same 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 jar, take out and crack the stones, replace them in 
 the jar, add the sugar, pour over the gin. Cork or cover 
 the jar lightly and leave it to stand for a month, when strain 
 and bottle. Ibid. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 ADDITIONAL RECEIPTS 
 
 DR. TWIN'S ALMOND MILK. Boil 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 
 handful 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 white Bread. Boil all these with fifty Almonds 
 blanched and beaten ; draw an Almond Milk, sweetened with 
 Sugar to your Palate. From The Receipt Book of John Nott, 
 Cook to the Duke of Bolton, 1723. 
 
 To MAKE LEACH OF ALMONDS. Take halfe a pound of 
 Sweete Almondes, and beat them in a mortar : then straine 
 them with a pinte 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 shillings of 
 Isinglasse that is very white, and so boyle them : then let 
 all run thorow a strainer then may you slice the same and 
 so serve it. Sir Hugh Platt, Delights for Ladies, 1594. 
 
 BALLS FOR LENT. Grate white bread, nutmeg, salt, 
 shred parsley, a very little thyme, and a little orange or 
 lemon-peel cut small ; make them up into balls with beaten 
 eggs, or you may add a spoonful of Cream; and roll them 
 up in flour, and fry them. E. Smith, The Compleat 
 Housewife, 1736. 
 
 TO MAKE BISCUITS OF RED BEET-ROOTS I FROM THE 
 
 SAME; CALL'D THE CRIMSON BISCUIT. Take the Roots of 
 Red Beets, and boil them tender, clean them and beat them 
 
 187 
 
i88 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 in a Mortar with as much Sugar, finely sifted ; some Butter ; 
 the Yolks of hard Eggs, a little Flower ; some Spice, finely 
 beaten, and some Orange-Flower water, and a little Lemon- 
 juice. When they are well mixed, and reduced to a Paste, 
 make them into Cakes, and dry them in a slow Oven. 
 R. Bradley, The Country Housewife and Lady's Director, 1732. 
 
 HOW TO DRAW THE BLOUD OF HEARBES. Stamp the 
 
 hearbe, put the same into a large glasse, leaving two parts 
 emptie (some commend the juice of the hearbe only) nip 
 or else lute the glasse very well : digest it in balneo 15 or 1 6 
 daies, and you shall find the same very red : divide the 
 watrish part; and that which remaineth, is the bloud or 
 essence of the herb. Sir Hugh Platt, Delights for Ladies, 
 1594- 
 
 To MAKE PARSLEY, SAGE, THYME, SAVORY, AND LEMON 
 THYME BUTTER. 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 make the Butter keep a long 
 time. This will be better than eating the Plants with Bread 
 and Butter. You may also do this without clarifying the 
 Butter by taking Butter newly made and working it well 
 from its water milk and wheyish Parts before you put in 
 the Oils. From The Receipt Book of John Nott, Cook to the 
 Duke of Bolt on, 1723. 
 
 HOW TO MAKE SUNDRY SORTS OF MOST DAINTY BUTTER, 
 HAVING A LIVELY TASTE OF SAGE, CINNAMON, NUTMEGS, 
 
 MACE, ETC. This is done by mixing a few dropps of the 
 extracted oyle of Sage, Cinnamon, Nutmegs, Mace, etc., 
 in the making up of your Butter : for Oyle and Butter will 
 incorporate and agree very kindly and naturally together. 
 And how to make the said oyles, 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, 
 Delights for Ladies, 1594. 
 
ADDITIONAL RECEIPTS 189 
 
 To MAKE ALMOND BUTTER. Blanch your Almonds, and 
 beate them as fine as you can with faire water, two or three 
 houres, then strain them through a linen cloth, boile them 
 with Rose-water, whole mace and aniseeds, till the substance 
 be thick : spread it upon a faire cloath, dressing the whey 
 from it, after let it hang in the same cloath some few houres, 
 then strain it and season it with Rose-water and sugar. 
 Sir Hugh Platt, Delights for Ladies, 1594. 
 
 To MAKE FAIRY BUTTER. Take the Yolks of four hard 
 Eggs, and half a Pound of Loaf Sugar beat and sifted, half 
 a Pound of fresh Butter ; bray them in a clean Bowl with two 
 spoonfuls of Orange-flower Water; when it is well mixed, 
 force it through the corner of a thin Canvas Strainer in little 
 Heaps on a Plate. It is a very pretty Supper Dish. From 
 The Receipt Book of Elizabeth Cleland, 1759. 
 
 To MAKE A CAUDLE FOR SWEET PIES. Take two Gills 
 of White Wine, a little Nutmeg, Sugar and Lemon-peel; 
 put it on the Fire, and when it is scalding hot, beat the 
 Yolks of two Eggs, and mix them with a little cold Wine ; 
 then mix all together; keep it stirring till it is scalding hot, 
 then take it up and pour it over the Pye or Tart. From The 
 Receipt Book of Elizabeth Cleland, 1759. 
 
 To MAKE FLUMMERY CAUDLE. Take a Mutchkin of fine 
 Oatmeal, put to it two Chopins of Water, let it stand twelve 
 Hours ; then strain it into a Skellet with a little Mace and 
 Nutmeg ; set it on the Fire and keep it stirring, and let it boil 
 a quarter of an Hour ; if it is too thick put in more Water, 
 and let it boil longer; add to it a Mutchkin of White Wine, 
 the juice of a Lemon or Orange, and a Bit of Butter : Sweeten 
 it to your Taste, let it have one Boil. You may put in the 
 Yolks of two Eggs, but let it not boil after you put in the 
 Eggs ; let it be scalding hot, keep it stirring till you dish it. 
 
 CINNAMON TOSTES. Cut five thin tostes, then toste them 
 on a gridiron and lay them in ranks in a dish, put to them 
 fine beaten cinnamon mixed with Sugar and some claret, 
 
igo A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 warm them over the fire and serve them hot. Robert May, 
 The Art and Mystery of Cookery, 1671. 
 
 To FRY CUCUMBERS FOR MUTTON SAUCE. You must 
 brown some Butter in a pan, and cut the cucumber in thin 
 slices ; 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 juice of lemon ; shake them well and put 
 them under your mutton. E. Smith, The Compleat House- 
 wife, 1736. 
 
 To MAKE PASTE OF FLOWERS OF THE COLOUR OF MARBLE 
 TASTING OF NATURAL FLOWERS. Take every sort of pleasing 
 flowers, as Violets, Cowslips, Gillyflowers, Roses, or Mary- 
 golds, and beat them in a Mortar, each flower by itself with 
 Sugar, till the Sugar become the Colour of the flower, then 
 put a little Gum Dragon steept in Water into it, and beat 
 it into a perfect paste ; so when you have half a dozen colours, 
 every flower will take of his nature, then rowl the Paste 
 therein, and lay one peece upon another, in mingling, so 
 rowl your paste in small rowls as bigge and as long as your 
 finger, then cut it off the bigness of a small nut, overthwart, 
 and so rowl them thin, that you may see a knife through 
 them, so dry them before the fire, till they be dry. The 
 Queen's Closet Opened, by W. M., Cook to Queen Henrietta 
 Maria, 1655. 
 
 To CANDY ALL KIND OF FLOWERS IN WAYES OF THE 
 SPANISH CANDY. Take double refined sugar, put it into a 
 posnet with as much rose-water as will melt it, and put 
 into it the pappe of half 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 so let it boyl, then 
 cast them on a fine plate, and cut inwayes with your knife, 
 then you may spot it with gold and keep it. A Choice 
 Manual of Secrets, by Elizabeth Grey, Countess of Kent, 
 1653- 
 
ADDITIONAL RECEIPTS 191 
 
 To CANDY ALL MANNER OF FLOWERS IN THEIR NATURAL 
 COLOURS. Take the flowers with the stalks, and wash them 
 over with a little Rose-water, wherein Gum-Arabick is 
 dissolved ; then take fine searsed sugar, and dust over them, 
 and set them a drying on the bottom of a sieve in an oven, 
 and they will glister as if it were Sugar-Candy. William 
 Rabisha, The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected, 1675. 
 
 To DISH UP FRUITS AND PRESERVED FLOWERS. Take a 
 large Dish, cover it with another of the same bigness, and 
 lay the uppermost all over with Almond paste ; inlaid with 
 white, red, green, blue or white Marmalad in the Figures 
 of Banks of Flowers. Then take branches of candy'd 
 Flowers and stick them upright in the Paste in as handsome 
 orders as you can, then erect little Bushes covered with 
 Paste, and upon them fasten preserved Apples, Apricochs, 
 Currants, Gooseberries, Peaches, Pears, Plums, etc., and for 
 Leaves you may make use either of coloured Paste, Parchment 
 or Horn. This will be very proper in winter. Ibid. 
 
 To KEEP FLOWERS ALL THE YEAR. Put Gum Arabic 
 into Rose-water, to make it sticky; take what sorts of 
 flowers you please and drop them into the liquor, swing the 
 liquor off and set them in a sieve to dry in the sun. Ibid. 
 
 To PICKLE FLOWERS. Take Flowers of any sort, put 
 them into a Gallypot with their weight in Sugar, and to each 
 pound of sugar put a pint of Vinegar. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE SYRUPS OF ANY FLOWERS. Clip your flowers 
 and take their weight in Sugar ; then take a gaily pot, and put 
 a row of flowers and a strewing of sugar, till the pot is full ; 
 then put in two or three spoonfuls of the same syrup or 
 stuTd water; tie a cloth on the top of the pot, put a tile on 
 that, set your gallypot in a Kettle 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 up. E. Smith, The 
 Compleat Housewife, 1736. 
 
I 9 2 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 To SUGAR ALL SORTS OF SMALL FRUITS. Beat the white 
 of an egg and dip the fruit in it, let it lie on a cloth that it 
 may not wet ; then take fine sifted sugar and rowl the Fruit 
 in it till it is quite covered with sugar and lay it on a sieve 
 in a Stove or before a Fire to dry it well ; it will keep well a 
 week. From The Receipt Book of Mrs. Mary Bales, Confec- 
 tioner to Queen Anne, 1719. 
 
 To MAKE FRENCH PUFFES WITH GREENE HEARBES. - 
 Take Spinage, Parsley, Endife, a sprigge or two of Savory, 
 mince them very fine : season them with Nutmeg, ginger and 
 sugar. Wet them with eggs according to the quantity of 
 the Hearbes, more or lesse. Then take the Coare of a Lemmon, 
 cut it in round slices very thinne : put to every slice of your 
 lemmon one Spoonfule of this stuff e. Then fry it with Sweet 
 lard in a Frying-panne as you frye Egges, and serve them 
 with Sippets or without, sprinckle them eyther with White- 
 wine or Sacke, or any other wine, saving Ren nish- wine. 
 Serve them eyther at Dinner or Supper. John Murrel, A 
 New Booke of Cooker ie, 1621. 
 
 To MAKE GOOSEBERRY VINEGAR. Take gooseberries 
 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 twenty - 
 four hours; then strain it thro' a canvas, then a flannel; 
 and to every gallon 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 pickles. E. Smith, The 
 Compleat Housewife, 1736. 
 
 MARROW AND HERB BALLS. Take cooked marrow, a little 
 thyme, winter savory and Sweet Marjoram, the yolks of 
 three Eggs, a Quarter of a Pound of Sugar, a Quarter of a 
 Pound of Currant, a little Rose-water and some Nutmeg. 
 Work all these well together and put them into a pasty of 
 Puff paste and fry them in sweet butter or lard. England's 
 
ADDITIONAL RECEIPTS 193 
 
 Newest Way in All Sorts of Cookery, by Henry Howard, 
 Free Cook of London, 1710. 
 
 How TO CANDY GINGER, NUTMEGS, OR ANY ROOT OR 
 FLOWERS. Take a quarter of a pound of the best refined 
 Sugar, which you can get : powder it : put thereto two 
 Spoonfuls of Rose-water : dip therein your Nutmegs, Ginger, 
 roots, etc., being first sodden in faire water till they 
 bee soft and tender : the oftener you dip them in your 
 sirup, the thicker the candy will bee, but it will bee the longer 
 in candying : your sirup must bee of such stiffness, as that 
 a drop thereof, being let fall upon a pewter-dish, may con- 
 geale and harden being cold. You must make your sirup 
 in a chafing-dish of coales, keeping a gentle fire. After 
 your sirup is once at his full height, then put them upon 
 papers presently into a store, or in dishes continue : for some 
 tenne or twelve dayes, till you finde the candy hard, and 
 glistering like diamonds : you must dip the red rose, the 
 gilliflower, the marigold, the borage-flower, and all other 
 flowers but once. Sir Hugh Platt, Delights for Ladies, 
 1694. 
 
 AN OLIO FOR DAYS OF ABSTINENCE. Put fresh broth and 
 good Pea Soup into a Pot with Borage, Endive, Marigold, 
 Sorrel or other Sweet Herbs grossly shred and some Spinage 
 whole, likewise Turnips, Carrots, Onions and Cabbage cut 
 in pieces, a little saffron, cloves, mace and nutmegs, etc. 
 Add bottoms of Artichokes and Chesnuts (boiled and 
 blanched) with a couple of Colleyflowers. Let them boil 
 together as long as is requisite. Add Yolks of eggs and then 
 serve your olio with seppets of bread and garnished as you 
 please. From The Receipt Book of John Nott, Cook to the 
 Duke of Bolton, 1723. 
 
 PARSNIP-CAKES. Scrape some Parsnip-Roots, and slice 
 them thin, dry them in an Oven and beat them to Powder ; 
 mix them then with an equal quantity of Flour, and make 
 them up with Cream and Spices powder'd; then mould 
 them into Cakes, and bake them in a gentle Oven. N.B. 
 o 
 
194 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 The Sweetness of the Parsnip Powder answers the want of 
 Sugar. R. Bradley, The Country Housewife and Lady's 
 Director, 1732. 
 
 SWEETE CAKES WITHOUT EITHER SPICE OR SUGAR. 
 Scrape or wash your Parsneps cleane, slice them thinne, 
 dry them upon Canvas or network frames, beat them to 
 powder, mixing one third thereof with two thirds of fine 
 wheat e flower : make up your paste into coates, and you 
 shall find them very delicate. Sir Hugh Platt, Delights for 
 Ladies, 1594. 
 
 POTATO PYE SWEET. You must first boil them half 
 enough, then make a good Puff-paste and lay in your Pota- 
 toes, and betwixt every one a Lump of Marrow rolled in 
 Egg; cut in some slices of Orange and Lemon- peel, and a 
 little Sugar ; then make a Caudle with Cream and Eggs, and 
 a little Sack, and when your Pye is bak'd, take off the Lid and 
 pour all your Caudle over it. From The Receipt Book of 
 Charles Carter, Cook to the Duke of Argyll, 1732. 
 
 POTATO TART. Take a pound and a half of potatoes, boil 
 them and skin them and cut them in slices, not thin ; sheet 
 a Dish with puff-paste, lay some citron in the bottom, lay 
 over your potatoes, and season them with ginger, cinnamon, 
 nutmeg and sugar; then take the marrow of two Bones 
 cut it into Pieces as big as Walnuts roll it in yolks of eggs and 
 season it as the Potatoes ; lay it on them and between the 
 Lumps of Marrow lay Citron and Dates springle over some 
 Orange flower or Rose-water. Draw up a quart of Cream 
 with yolks of eggs pour all over it, bake it and stick over some 
 Citron and serve it. Ibid. 
 
 POTATO AND LEMON CHEESECAKES. Take six ounces of 
 potatoes, four ounces of lemon-peel, four ounces of sugar, 
 four ounces of butter, boil the lemon-peel till tender, pare 
 and scrape the potatoes, and boil them tender and bruise 
 them ; beat the lemon-peel with the sugar, then beat all 
 together very well, and melt the butter in a little thick cream, 
 
ADDITIONAL RECEIPTS 195 
 
 and mix all together very well and let it lie till cold : put 
 crust in your pattipans, and fill them little more than half 
 full : bake them in a quick oven half an hour, sift some double 
 refin'd sugar on them as they go into the oven ; this quantity 
 will make a dozen small pattipans. E. Smith, The Compleat 
 Housewife, 1736. 
 
 To MAKE BISCUITS OF POTATOES. (From Mrs. Mary Gor- 
 don.) Boil the Roots of Potatoes till they are tender ; then 
 peel them, and take their weight of fine Sugar, finely sifted ; 
 grate some Lemon-Peel on the Sugar; and then beat the 
 Potatoes and Sugar together, in a Stone Mortar, with some 
 Butter, a little Mace, or Cloves, finely sifted, and a little 
 Gum Dragon, steeped in Orange-Flower Water, or Rose- 
 Water, till it becomes a Paste ; then make it into Cakes with 
 Sugar, finely powder'd, and dry them in a gentle Oven. 
 R, Bradley, The Country Housewife and Lady's Director, 
 1732. 
 
 PoTATOE-PuDDiNG BAKED. (From Mr. Shepherd of Wind- 
 mill Street.) Boil some fair Potatoes till they are tender; 
 then, when they are made clean, bruise them in a Marble 
 Mortar, till they become a Paste, with some Mace powder'd, 
 some Sugar and the Pulp of Oranges, with a Naples Biscuit 
 or two grated in, and a large Carrot grated. Add to these 
 some Orange-Flower Water; and when all these are well 
 mix'd, put to them some butter'd Eggs, with some slices of 
 Butter laid upon your Pudding, when it is put into the Dish, 
 or Pan. A little baking will serve for it; and when it is 
 enough, serve it hot, with a garnish of Sliced Lemon or 
 Orange. Some will put this into a Paste, but not cover it 
 over. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE A WHYTE-SYLLABUB. Put a Pint of White-wine, 
 and a Pint of Mulberry, or black Cherry Juice, into a wooden 
 Bowl ; add also a Pint of Cream, sweeten it with Sugar, and 
 put in a large perfumed Comfit, put a Branch or two of 
 Rosemary stript from the Leaves, among some Willow-twigs 
 peeled, and wind a Lemon-peel about your Willow-twigs, etc. 
 
196 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 Then stir your Syllabub well together, and whip it up till it 
 froths, take off the Froth with a Spoon, and put it into your 
 Glasses, and squeeze some Spirit of Lemon-peel between 
 every Layer of Froth, and let it stand till the next Day 
 before you eat it. Ibid. 
 
 A WORCESTERSHIRE SYLLABUB. Fill your Syllabub-pot 
 with Cyder, put in a good Quantity of Sugar, 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, only milk the Cow into the Cyder, etc. 
 and so drink it. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE SYROP OF ALL KINDE. Take Bugloss, Borage, 
 white Endive, of each one handefull, of Rosemarie, Tyme, 
 Hysope, winter saverie, of each half a handefull, seethe them 
 (being first broken betweene your handes) in three quartes 
 of water into three pintes, then streine it and put in the liquor 
 whole cloves an ounce, powder of cinnamon halfe an ounce, 
 powder of ginger a quarter of an ounce, one nutmeg in 
 powder, of sugar halfe a pound or more : let them seethe 
 upon a soft fire, well stirred until it come to the thickness of 
 live honey, then keep it in galley-pots. If you put one pint 
 of Malmsey in the second seething it will be better. When it 
 is perfect have sixe graines of fine Muske in powder, stir it 
 amongst your Syrop, as yee put it into the Galley-pot and 
 cover it. 
 
 This Syrop will last many yeeres and is excellent. It 
 comforteth the braine and sinewes. John Partridge, The 
 Treasurie of Commodious Conceits and Hidden Secrets, 1586. 
 
 To MAKE TAFFATY-CREAM. Beat the Whites of eight Eggs 
 up to a froth with Rose-water, skim off the Froth, and put it 
 into a Quart of Cream, and set it on the Fire to boil, but keep 
 it continually stirring; then having beaten the Yolks of 
 eight Eggs very well, slip them into the Cream, and stir it a 
 
ADDITIONAL RECEIPTS 197 
 
 little ; then take it off the Fire, and stir it still, sweeten it 
 with Sugar, pour it out, and set it by to cool. The Complete 
 Family Piece, 1737. 
 
 A TART OF GREEN SPROUTS AND HERBS. Take your green 
 sprouts, and give them a scald and lay them a draining, then 
 mince them small and also the herbs (such as you please), 
 season with Beef marrow an onion stuck with Cloves and 
 some thin slices of Bacon, cover it up with the same paste 
 and when it is baked put in some gravy, the juice of Lemon 
 and serve it away. From The Receipt Book of Patrick Lord 
 Ruthven, 1655. 
 
 To MAKE A SPRING TART. Gather such Buds, in the Spring 
 of the year, that are not bitter; also the Leaves of Prim- 
 roses, Violets and Strawberries; take also a little young 
 Spinage, boil them, drain them in a Colander; then chop 
 them very small, and boil them over again in Cream; add 
 to them Naples bisket grated, and so many Yolks and Whites 
 of Eggs as will make the Cream very thick, colour all green 
 with the Juice of Spinage ; season with Salt, Nutmeg, Cinna- 
 mon and Sugar, and bake it in Puff-paste, or otherways. 
 From The Receipt Book of John Nott, Cook to the Duke of 
 Bolt on, 1723. 
 
 To MAKE A SWEET-SOUR TART. Boil a quarter of a Pound 
 of Sugar in a Glass of Verjuice or Lemon-juice, and when it 
 is wasted half, put to it some Cream, with the Yolks of half 
 a dozen Eggs, Orange-flowers, Lemon-peel candy'd, grated; 
 a little beaten Cinnamon, and a little Butter. Put these into 
 a Tart made of fine Paste, and bake it without a Lid. Ibid. 
 
 TATTES OR BALDE MEATES FOR FISH DAIES. Take your 
 dish and anoint the bottom well with butter, then make a 
 fine past to the bredth of the dish and lay it on the same 
 dish upon the butter, then take Dates, Spinnage and Cab- 
 badges, or white Lettuce, cutting them fine in long pieces, 
 then take the yolks of eight raw eggs and six yolks of hard 
 eggs with small raisins and a little cheese fine scraped, and 
 
198 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 grated bread and three or four dishes of Butter melted and 
 when you have brought it together season it with sugar and 
 cinnamon, ginger and salt. Then lay it upon your fine paste 
 spreading it abroad, then the cover of the fine paste being cut 
 with prettie work then set it in your Oven bake it and when 
 it is enough then at the serving of it you must newe past the 
 cover with butter and so scrape sugar upon it and then serve 
 it forth. The Good Housewife's Jewell, 1585. 
 
 TURNIP BREAD (" of which we have eaten at the Greatest 
 Persons Tables hardly 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 
 juice 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 re- 
 main a little to ferment fashion the paste into loaves and bake 
 it like common bread. John Evelyn, Acetaria, 1699. 
 
 TURNIP STALKS. Take their Stalks (when they begin to 
 run up to seed) as far as they will easily break downwards : 
 Peel and tie them in Bundles. Then boiling them as they 
 do Sparagus are to be eaten with melted Butter. Ibid. 
 
 VINE LEAF FRITTERS. Take a dozen of the smallest Vine 
 Leaves 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 sides ; put them 
 in and fry them quick on both sides of a light brown, lay 
 them on a sieve to drain, then put them in a dish, sprinkle 
 powder sugar over them, and glaze them with a hot iron. 
 The New Art of Cookery, by Richard Briggs, Head Cook 
 successively to Charles II, James II, William and Mary, and 
 Anne, 1788. 
 
 AN EXCELLENT CONCEIT UPON THE KERNELS OF DRIE 
 
 WALNUTS. Gather not your Walnuts before they be full 
 
ADDITIONAL RECEIPTS 199 
 
 ripe, keep them without any art untill Newyeare's tide, then 
 break the shells carefully, so as you deface not the kernels ; 
 (and therefore you must take choise of such nuts as have this 
 shell) whatsoever you find to come away easily, remove it : 
 steepe these kernels in conduit water, forty-eight houres, 
 then will they swell and grow very plumpe and faire, and you 
 may pill them easily, and present to any friend you have for 
 a Newyeare's gift; but being pilled, they must be eaten 
 within two or three houres, or else they lose their whitenesse 
 and beautie, but unpilled they will last two or three dales 
 faire and fresh. This of a kinde gentlewoman, whose skill 
 I doe highly commend, and whose case I doe greatly pittie ; 
 such are the hard fortunes of the best wits and natures in our 
 daies. Sir Hugh Platt, Delights for Ladies, 1594. 
 
 To MAKE WATER IMPERIAL! FOR ALL SORE PLACES. Take 
 two handfulls of red sage leaves, a handfull of celandine, a 
 gallon of pure water and put the hearbes in it and let them 
 boil long and then straine the hearbes through a strainer and 
 take the liquid and set it over the fire again. Take a pinte 
 of English honey a good handfull of Rock Allum and a good 
 handfull of Thyme and let them boyl all together three or 
 four times, then let the skimme be taken off and when it is 
 cold put it in an Earthen pot or bottle so as it may be kept 
 close. The Good Housewife's Jewell, 1585. 
 
 To MAKE A WHITE-POT. Boil a Quart of Cream with large 
 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 lay on them sliced Dates, Raisins of the Sun, 
 or what Sweet-meats you please, with bits of Marrow, or of 
 fresh Butter; then lay another Layer of Bread, Fruit, etc., 
 till the Dish is full, grating Nutmeg between every Layer; 
 then put in your Cream, and lay Slices of Bread and Bits of 
 Butter on the top of all, and bake it. From The Receipt Book 
 of John Middleton, 1734. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 OF THE PICKING AND DRYING OF HERBS 
 
 " Aristotell the prince of philosophers sayeth in maneye 
 places, that everye science is of the kynde of good thynges. 
 But notwithstanding the operation sometyme is good, 
 sometyme evell, as the science is chaunged to a good or to 
 an evell ende, to which it worketh." The boke of the secrets 
 ofAlbertus Magnus of the vertues of herbes, stones and certaine 
 beastes, 1569. 
 
 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 manuscripts 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 exception 
 of perhaps the name of an idol, such as Leleloth, given after 
 the names of the four Apostles. In the Penitential of 
 Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, one of the oldest 
 books of penalties for offences against the laws of the Church, 
 there are given the penalties to be imposed on those who 
 practised the old heathen rites connected with plants and 
 trees, and when the monks transcribed herbals they sub- 
 stituted Christian prayers for the old charms. Some of 
 these prayers are very beautiful, and the following dates 
 back to at least the fourteenth century, and is probably 
 much older 
 
 " Haile be thou holie hearbe 
 
 Growing on the ground 
 
 All in the mount of Calvarie 
 
 First wert thou found. 
 
 Thou art good for manie a sore 
 
 And healest manie a wound 
 
 In the name of sweete Jesus 
 
 I take thee from the ground." 
 200 
 
OF THE PICKING AND DRYING OF HERBS 201 
 
 It would be easy to fill a book with these extracts of the 
 prayers to be said when gathering herbs. For example, 
 in one old herbal one finds, " For the delirious. When day 
 and night divide, then sing thou in the Church, litanies, 
 the names of the hallows (Saints) and the Pater Noster. 
 With the song go thou near the herbs and go thrice about 
 them, and when thou takest them go again to the Church 
 with the same song and sing twelve masses over them and 
 over all the drinks which belong to the disease in honour 
 of the twelve Apostles." Then, again, in making use of 
 sorrel or dock, " Sing twelve times the Psalm miserere mei 
 Deus and Gloria in excelsis Deo and the Pater Noster . . . 
 when day and night divide then drink the dose and wrap 
 thyself up warm." In another herbal, " For much travelling 
 overland lest a man tire. Let him take mugwort in his hand 
 and put it in his shoe lest he should be weary. And when 
 he will pluck it before sunrise let him first say, ' Tollam 
 te artemisia ne lassus sim in via.' Sign it (with the sign of 
 the Cross) when thou pullest it up." When picking celan- 
 dine, " Sing over it nine Pater Nosters and at the ninth 
 at ' Deliver us from evil/ take it up." In the later herbals 
 one finds more general instructions : " Make mention of the 
 passion or grief and the name of the thynge for the which 
 thou doest gather it and the selfe herbe lay on wheat or 
 barley." Again a godly prayer, " Thine Hand vexeth, Thine 
 Hand vexeth." 
 
 Although so little remains of the old charms there is more 
 evidence of pagan worship in the old belief of the influence 
 of the sun, moon, and other celestial bodies on the herbs. 
 Every herb was supposed to be under the influence of one 
 of these bodies, and they must be in a favourable position 
 when the herb was used. Herbs under the dominion of 
 the Sun must never be picked except with gold or a stag's 
 horn (emblems of the sun's rays). There are many her- 
 balists to-day (and many gardeners too for that matter) 
 who firmly believe in sowing all seeds when the moon is 
 waxing, but the rest is now regarded as mere superstition. 
 Perhaps in another century science will have discovered 
 
202 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 that there is a great deal in these old beliefs. William Coles, 
 in his Art of Simpling (1656), is very scornful of the old 
 herbalists in this matter. " And now I have done with the 
 setting of Plants, 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 Sympathy between the Sunne, Moon, and some principal 
 Starres, and certain Plants, and so they have denominated 
 some Herbes Solar, and some Lunar, and such toyes put 
 into great words. Amongst which Master Culpepper (a 
 man now dead, and therefore I shall 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, judgeth all men unfit 
 to be Physicians, who are not Artists in Astrology, as if he 
 and some other Figure-Singers, his companions, had been 
 the only Physicians in England, whereas for ought I can 
 gather, either by his Books, or learne 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 serve his turne 
 (though many times he were therein mistaken), but added 
 very little of his owne. . . . 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 to maintain that all vegetables in their growth are 
 enslaved to a necessary and unavoidable dependence on 
 the influences of the Starres. Whereas Plants were, even 
 when Planets were not." 
 
 And now to turn to more practical matters ! Nearly 
 all herbs are at their best when they are going to flower. 
 The young tops and flowers contain more virtues than the 
 older leaves. They should always be picked when the dew 
 has well dried off them, but before the sun is at its hottest. 
 No herbs should ever be dried in the sunlight, as this extracts 
 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 PICKING AND DRYING OF HERBS 203 
 
 be powdered and put into airtight tins, or preferably, in 
 well-corked bottles. If in the latter they should be kept 
 in the dark. There is no comparison between the flavour 
 of herbs kept in bags and those 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- 
 shed is to spread them, in thin layers in a cool oven. 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, but when the root remains 
 many years, sends up many shoots in the Spring, it commonly 
 has great virtue. There is very little to be expected in 
 the 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- 
 tinguished from those which afterwards grow on the Stalk, 
 for they are more juicy, and for many Purposes 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 from the roots are to be chosen, and these 
 when there is no stalk if that can be, for then only are they 
 fullest of juice and have their compleat virtue; the stalk 
 running away with the nourishment from them. This is 
 so much done in some plants that although the Leaves 
 growing from Root were very vigorous before the stalk grew 
 up they die and wither as it rises. Nature in the whole 
 growth of plants tends to the production of their flowers 
 and seed, but when they are ripe the rest begins to decay, 
 having done its Duty, 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 single Flower 
 has yet disclosed itself. The tops of the plant are always 
 preferable to the whole Plant for immediate use. The time 
 of the Day must be when the morning Dew is dried away. 
 This is a very material circumstance, for if they be cut wet 
 with the Dew, Herbs will not dry well, and if they be cut 
 at Noon Day, when the sun has made the Leaves flag, they 
 
204 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 will not have their 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 
 they are to be looked over, the decayed Leaves picked off, 
 and the dead ends of the stalks cut away. They are then 
 to be tied up into small bunches, the less the better, and 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 
 perfectly dry. They are then to be taken softly down, 
 without shaking off the Buds of the flowers, and laid evenly 
 in a Drawer, pressing them down and covering them with 
 paper.".) 
 
 A drying-shed is a very charming adjunct to a herb garden, 
 and though it is not at all scientific, it is very delightful 
 to see great bunches of herbs hanging up in the old-fashioned 
 way. The most interesting drying-shed I know belongs 
 to a herbalist who lives in a remote village in Devonshire. 
 Her cottage, which looks as though it had been comfortably 
 tucked up in its garden for centuries, is very tiny, and the 
 garden, surrounded by a typical Devonshire bank, is full 
 of herbs both wild and cultivated. The owner 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, splendid- 
 looking woman well over eighty, but not in the least bent, 
 and it is obvious she has never known a moment's boredom. 
 The least observant stranger would realise she was a silent 
 person, and any child would very soon class her as one of 
 those comfortable grown-ups who do not bother one with 
 silly questions. To listen to her talking about her beloved 
 herbs is a joy, and to see her working in the garden amongst 
 them would rejoice 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 for 
 herbs than to dry 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 : Meadowsweet, elder 
 
OF THE PICKING AND DRYING OF HERBS 205 
 
 (in enormous quantities), tansy, thyme, sage (both the 
 purple and the green), and many others. Then there are 
 the boxes where she keeps the dried flowers marigold, 
 camomile and lime, coltsfoot, and quantities of lavender 
 (which somehow always smells as though it had only just 
 been picked). There are queer coloured bottles, too, full 
 of all sorts of mixtures decoctions of ground ivy, sloe gin, 
 dandelion, sage and elder wine; endless ointments, and 
 lotions, for cuts and bruises. 
 
 No one who picks and carefully dries their own herbs 
 ever wants to use bought herbs again. And even if you 
 have a very beautiful herb garden don't neglect to make 
 use of the wild herbs also. Remember the wise advice 
 of a fifteenth-century herbalist who wrote, " Herbes that 
 grow in the fieldes be bettere then those that growe in 
 gardenes. And those that grow on the hillis be best." 
 
CHAPTER X 
 OF SWEET SCENTS 
 
 " Scents are the souls of flowers : they may be even 
 perceptible in the land of shadows. The tulip is a flower 
 without a soul, but the rose and the lily seem to have one." 
 JOUBERT. 
 
 " If odours may worke satisfaction, they are so soveraigne 
 in plants and so comfortable that no confection of the 
 apothecaries can equall their excellent Vertue." John 
 Gerard, The Herball, 1597. 
 
 " Smells and other odours are sweeter in the Air at some 
 distance. For we see that in Sounds likewise they are sweetest 
 when we cannot hear every part by itself. . . For all sweet 
 smells have joined with them some earthly or crude odours 
 and at some distance the sweet which is the more spiritual 
 is perceived and the earthy reaches not so far." Bacon, 
 Sylva Sylvarum. 
 
 THE Malmesbury Chronicle tells us that when Hugh the 
 Great, the father of Hugh Capet, asked in marriage the sister 
 of King Athelstan of England, he sent her gifts of perfumes 
 the like of which had never before been seen in England . We 
 have always lacked the skill of the professional perfumers of 
 the Continent, but when English women were wise enough 
 to make their own perfumes, sweet waters, washing-balls, 
 pomanders, and sweet linen bags from their herb gardens, 
 they were unrivalled. We know that at least as early as 
 the twelfth century the French perfume-makers were of 
 sufficient importance to be granted a charter, but there was 
 no such trade in England for centuries later, and even in 
 Chaucer's day it was only possible to buy perfumes from 
 the mercers. From crusading days the far-famed perfumes 
 of the East were valued gifts amongst the nobility of the 
 Continent, but in England they never found so much favour ; 
 
 206 
 
OF SWEET SCENTS 207 
 
 and when perfumes became the fashion in Elizabeth's reign, 
 it was to the herb garden the English women turned rather 
 than to the products of Eastern lands. For at least two 
 hundred years rose-water was the perfume most in request, 
 and it was always used after banquets for washing the hands. 
 When one remembers that as late as James I's reign it was 
 regarded as foppish to use a fork, one realises that these 
 salvers of rose or sweet waters must have been more of a 
 necessity than a luxury. The custom of having scented 
 gloves and jerkins was introduced by that Elizabethan dandy 
 Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, on his return from Italy. 
 Queen Elizabeth the same year had a pair of scented gloves, 
 with which she was so delighted that they were painted in 
 her next portrait, and she was mightily pleased when another 
 courtier gave her a " gyrdle of pomanders." Excepting 
 during the Puritan regime the use of perfumes in every way 
 became rapidly so popular that all the small country houses 
 soon had their still-rooms, and the delightful custom of 
 scenting rooms with fragrant herbs was almost universal. 
 
 Of this custom Sir Hugh Platt in his Garden of Eden 
 writes : "I hold it for a most delicate and pleasing thing to 
 have a fair gallery, great chamber or other lodging, that open- 
 eth fully upon the East or West sun, to be inwardly garnished 
 with sweet Hearbs and Flowers, yea and Fruit if it were 
 possible. For the performance whereof, I have thought of 
 these courses following. First, you may have fair sweet 
 Marjerom, Basil, Carnation, or Rosemary-pots, etc., to 
 stand loosely upon fair shelves, which pots 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 
 shelves made without the Room, there to receive the warm 
 Sun, or temperate Rain at your pleasure, now and then when 
 you see cause. In every window you may make square 
 frames either of Lead or of Boards, well pitched within : fill 
 them with some rich earth, and plant such Flowers or Hearbs 
 therein as you like best ; if Hearbs, you may keep them in 
 the shape of green borders, or other form. And if you plant 
 them with Rosemary, you may maintain the same running 
 
208 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 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 must often set open your Case- 
 ments, especially in the day time, which would also be many 
 in number ; because Flowers delight and prosper best in the 
 open Air. You may also hang in the Roof, and about the 
 sides of this Room, small Pompions or Cowcumbers, pricked 
 full of Barley, first making holes for the Barley, and these 
 will be overgrown with green spires, so as the Pompion or 
 Cowcumber will not appear." 
 
 Extravagance in perfumes was never so great in England 
 as in France where during the reign of Louis XV it reached 
 its high-water mark. The court then was in truth la com 
 parfumte, and the strict rules of etiquette prescribed the use 
 of a different perfume each day. Madame de Pompadour 
 spent 500,000 livres a year on perfumes for the use of her 
 household at Choisy. Nor have we in England raised the 
 sense of smell to an art like the Breton peasant of whom 
 Dideron tells us in his Annales Archeologiques. This peasant, 
 after musing over the scents of the flowers in the fields, 
 claimed to have discovered the harmonious relation between 
 odours. He came to Paris to give a concert of perfumes, 
 but they took him for a madman. Perhaps, like so many 
 madmen, he was only in advance of his times ; and is not 
 modern science returning to the ancient belief in the value 
 of wholesome and refreshing scents ? 
 
 The old herbalists were never weary of teaching the value 
 of the scents of our aromatic herbs. How great was the 
 popular belief in rosemary to ward off infection may be 
 gathered from the fact that during the great plague in Charles 
 ITs time small bunches of rosemary were sold for six and 
 eight pence. Before the plague an armful cost but twelve 
 pence. Till recently there were at least two curious survivals 
 of this belief in herbal scents the doctors' gold-headed cane 
 which formerly contained a vinaigrette, and the little bou- 
 quets carried by the clergy at the distribution of the Maundy 
 money in Westminster Abbey. " Physicians," wrote Mon- 
 
OF SWEET SCENTS 209 
 
 taigne, " might in my opinion draw more use and good from 
 odours than they do. For myself, I have often perceived 
 that according unto their strength and quality they change 
 and alter and move my spirits and make strange effects in 
 me, which makes me approve the common saying that the 
 invention of the incense and perfumes in churches so ancient 
 and so far diffused throughout all nations and religions had a 
 special regard to rejoice, to comfort, to quicken, to rouse, and 
 to purify our senses so that we might be the apter and readier 
 unto our contemplations." 
 
 Artificial scents have had a long enough reign in England, 
 and perhaps we shall be wise enough to return to the simple 
 old home-made rose, lavender, jasmine and other sweet 
 waters, the pomanders and scented wash-balls of our great- 
 great-grandmothers. And is not a garden full of fragrant 
 herbs a perpetual delight? Are there any bought scents 
 so delicious and exhilarating as wild thyme, marjoram and 
 rosemary ? There is something so clean and wholesome in 
 them that one feels the old herbalists were right when they 
 said that to smell these herbs continually would keep any one 
 in perfect health. They are so full of sunshine and sweetness 
 that it seems there can be no tonic like them, and it is curious 
 how appreciative invalids are of sweet-scented herbs. Flower 
 scents are often too heavy for them, but a bunch of fragrant 
 herbs seems a perpetual joy. In London, where one can 
 buy all the costliest and most beautiful flowers in or out of 
 season, does anything bring a breath of the country air so 
 perfectly as a boxful of lavender? " There are few better 
 places for the study of scents," says Mrs. Bardswell, " than 
 the herb garden. Here fragrance depends more on the leaves 
 of plants than on the flowers. One secret is soon discovered. 
 It is the value of leaf-scents. Flower-scents are evanescent ; 
 leaf -odours are permanent. On the other hand, leaf -odours 
 though ready when sought, do not force themselves upon us, 
 as it were, like flower-scents, which we must smell whether we 
 will or no. Leaf -scents have to be coaxed out by touching, 
 bruising or pressing; but there they are. After all, that 
 is the great point, and long after the summer flower-scents 
 p 
 
2io A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 have departed we can enjoy the perfumes of the sweet- 
 leaved Herbs and plants such as Rosemary, Bay and Thyme. 
 Even when withered in the depth of winter, how full of fra- 
 grance are the natural Herb gardens of the south of Europe, 
 where one walks over stretches of dry Thyme and Lavender, 
 every step crushing out their sweetness." 
 
 A COMFORTABLE POMANDER FOR THE BRAINE. Take 
 
 Labdanum one ounce, Benjamin and Storax of each two 
 drams, Damaske powder finely searced, one Dram, Cloves 
 and Mace of each a little, a Nutmeg and a little Camphire, 
 Muske and Civet a little. First heate your morter and pestle 
 with coales, then make them verie cleane and put in your 
 labdanum, beate it till it waxe softe, put to it two or three 
 drops of oyl of spike, and so labour them a while : then put 
 in all the rest finely in powder, and worke them till all be 
 incorporated, then take it out, anoynting your hands with 
 Civet, roll it up and with a Bodkin pierce a hole thorow it. 
 Ram's Little Dodoen, 1606. 
 
 A BAG TO SMELL UNTO FOR MELANCHOLY, OR TO CAUSE ONE 
 TO SLEEP. Take drie Rose leaves, keep them close in a glasse 
 which will keep them sweet, then take powder of Mints, 
 powder of Cloves in a grosse powder, and put the same to the 
 Rose leaves, then put all these together 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 times. Ibid. 
 
 To RENEW THE SENT OF A POMANDER. Take one grain of 
 Civet, and two of Musk, or if you double the proportion, it 
 will bee so much the sweeter ; grinde them upon a stone v/ith 
 a little Rose-water; and after wetting your hands with 
 Rose-water you may worke the same in your Pomander. 
 This is a sleight to passe away an old Pomander; but my 
 intention is honest. Ib id. 
 
 How TO GATHER AND CLARIFIE MAY-DEW. When there 
 hath fallen no raine the night before, then with a cleane and 
 large sponge, the next morning, you may gather the same 
 
OF SWEET SCE^tS 211 
 
 from sweet herbs, grasse or corne : straine your dew, and 
 expose it to the Sun in glasses covered with papers or parch- 
 ments prickt full of holes ; straine it often, continuing it 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 and 
 Celandine 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. Ibid. 
 
 A DELICATE WASHING-BALL. Take three ounces of orace, 
 halfe an ounce of Cypres, two ounces of Calamus Aromaticus, 
 one ounce of Rose leaves, two ounces of Lavender flowers : 
 beat all these together in a mortar, searcing them thorow a 
 fine Scarce, then scrape some Castill sope, and dissolve it 
 with some Rose-water, then incorporate all your powders 
 therewith, by labouring of them well in a mortar. Ibid. 
 
 A SCOTTISH HANDWATER. Put Thyme, Lavender and 
 Rosemary confusedly together, then make a lay of thicke 
 wine Lees in the bottom of a stone pot, upon which make 
 another lay of the said hearbs, and then a lay of Lees, 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 
 common water maketh very sweete washing water. Ibid. 
 
 AN EXCELLENT DAMASK POWDER. You may take of 
 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. 
 AM 
 
 JESEMAIN WATER. Take two handfuls of Jeseme flowers 
 and put them into a flagon or earthen pot, put to them about 
 a quart 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 sent and tast of 
 the flowers, then set it in a cool place a cooling and you will 
 
212 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 find it a most excellent sented water. A Perfect School of 
 Instructions for the Officers of the Month, by Giles Rose, one 
 of the Master Cooks to Charles II, 1682. 
 
 ORANGE-FLOWER WATER. Take one handful orange 
 flowers and put them to about a quart of water and a 
 quarter of a pound of sugar and do with them as you did 
 with your Jeseme. Ibid. 
 
 KING EDWARD'S PERFUME. Take twelve spoonfulls of 
 right red rose-water, the weight of six pence in fine powder 
 of sugar, and boyl it on hot Embers and coals softly, and the 
 house will smell as though it were full of Roses, but you must 
 burn the sweet C}'press wood before, to take away the gross 
 ayre. The Queen's Closet Opened, by W. M., Cook to Queen 
 Henrietta Maria, 1655. 
 
 To MAKE AN IPSWICH BALL. Take a pound of fine white 
 Castill Sope, shave it thin in a pinte of Rose-water, and let 
 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 Marjoram, a quarter of an ounce of 
 powder of Winter Savoury, two or three drops of the oyl of 
 Spike, and the Oyl of Cloves, three grains of Musk, and as 
 much Ambergris, work all these together in a fair Mortar, 
 with the powder of an Almond Cake dryed, and beaten as 
 small as fine flowre, so rowl it round in your hands in Rose- 
 water. Ibid. 
 
 A MOST PRECIOUS OINTMENT FOR ALL MANNER OF ACHES 
 
 AND BRUISES ; AND ALSO FOR THE REDNESS OF THE FACE. 
 Take Violet, Primrose, Elder, Cowslip, leafs and flowers; 
 Sage, Mugwort, Ragweed, white Lillies, St. Johnswort, 
 Smallage, Marjoram, Lavender, Sothernwood, Rosemary, 
 Rose-leafs, Rue, Fetherfew, Tansie, Lovage, Mint, Camomile, 
 Thyme, Dill, Clary, Oak of Jerusalem, Penyroyal, Hysop, 
 Balm, White Mint, Marygold, Peony-leafs, Bay-leafs, Saffron, 
 
OF SWEET SCENTS 213 
 
 of each one handful. Stamp all these in a Stone-mortar, 
 as you get them then put them into a Pottle of Sallet Oyl, 
 and so let them infuse there till you have all the rest together ; 
 for you cannot get them all at one time, but get them as fast 
 as you can. Then put to them and the Oyl a quart of White 
 Wine, and set it over the fire, and boyl it to the Consumption 
 of the Wine ; then take it off and strain it ; then put it into 
 a glass and keep it for use. When you anoint any sore with 
 this do it by the fire side, chafing it well in ; and then lay 
 a Hog's-bladder next to it, and a Linnen upon that. Receipts 
 in Physick and Chirurgery, by Sir Kenelm Digby, 1668. 
 
 To MAKE SWEET WATER. Take Damask Roses at dis- 
 cretion, Basil, Sweet Marjoram, Lavender, Walnut Leafs, 
 of each two handfuls, Rosemary one handful, a little Balm, 
 Cloves, Cinamon, one ounce, Bay leaf, Rosemary tops, Limon 
 and Orange Pills of each a few; pour upon these as much 
 White Wine as will conveniently wet them, and let them 
 infuse ten or twelve days ; then distil it off. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE PERFUMES TO BURN. Take half a pound of 
 Damask Rosebuds (the whites cut off), Benjamin three 
 ounces beaten to powder, half a quarter of an ounce of Musk, 
 and as much of Ambergris, the like of Civet. Beat all these 
 together in a stone Morter. Then put in an ounce of Sugar, 
 and make it up in Cakes, and dry them in the Sun, or by the 
 fire. Ibid. 
 
 A DELICATE WASH-BALL. Take a quarter of a Pound of 
 Calamus Aromaticus, a quarter of a Pound of Lavender 
 flowers, six ounces of Orris, two ounces of Rose leaves, and 
 an ounce of Cypres ; pownd all these together in a Mortar, 
 and rub them through a fine Sieve, then scrape Castile-soap, 
 and dissolve it in Rose-water, put in your beaten Powder, 
 pownd it in a Mortar, and make it up into Balls. From 
 The Receipt Book of John Nott, Cook to the Duke of Bolton 
 
 1723- 
 
 A GOOD MOUTH-WATER. Boil a Bit of Alum, six Ounces of 
 black Thorn Bark slic'd, and a Handful of red Rose Leaves, 
 
214 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 and a Quart of Water, and a quart of Claret, till it is wasted 
 a third Part. Then put in two Handfuls of Scurvy-grass, 
 the Peel of two Sevil Oranges, and as much powder'd Myrrh 
 as will lie on a Shilling twice ; 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 good for the Scurvy, makes the Gums grow up to 
 the Teeth, and fastens them if loose. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE A POMANDER. Take Benjamin, Labdanum 
 and Storax of each an ounce. Then heat a mortar very hot 
 and beat them all to a perfect paste adding four grains of 
 Civet and six of musk. Then roll your paste into small beads, 
 make holes in them and string them while they are hot. 
 From The Receipt Book of John Middleton, 1734. 
 
 A SWEET-SCENTED BATH. Take of Roses, Citron peel, 
 Sweet flowers, Orange flowers, Jessamy, Bays, Rosemary, 
 Lavender, Mint, Pennyroyal, of each a sufficient quantity, 
 boil them together gently and make a Bath to which add 
 Oyl of Spike six drops, musk five grains, Ambergris three 
 grains. Ibid. 
 
 FOR A BATH. Take of Sage, Lavender flowers, Rose- 
 flowers of each two handfuls, a little salt, boil them in water or 
 lye, and make a bath not too hot in which bathe the Body 
 in a morning, or two hours before Meat. Ibid. 
 
 A PERFUME TO PERFUME ANY SORT OF CONFECTIONS. 
 Take musk, the like quantity of Oil of Nutmeg, infuse in them 
 Rose-water, and with it sprinkle your Banqueting prepara- 
 tions and the scent will be as pleasing as the taste. England's 
 newest way in all sorts of Cookery, by Henry Howard, Free 
 Cook of London, 1710. 
 
 To MAKE SPIRIT OF LILLEY OF THE VALLEY. Gather 
 your Lilley-of-the-Valley Flowers, when they are dry, and 
 pick them from the Stalks; then put a quarter of a pint 
 of them into a Quart of Brandy, and so in proportion, to 
 infuse six or eight days ; then distil it in a cold Still, marking 
 
OF SWEET SCENTS 215 
 
 the Bottles, as they are drawn off, which is first, second 
 and third, etc. When you have distill'd them, take the 
 first, and so on to the third or fourth, and 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, The Country Housewife 
 and Lady's Director, 1732. 
 
 FOR THE FACE. Take a small Handful of Strawberry 
 Leaves, as much Cinquefoil, the same quantity of Tansey 
 or of Mallows, and four Handfuls of Plantane Leaves, pick 
 them clean, put them into an Alembick, and also two quarts 
 of Milk from the Cow, when it has dropp'd a quart, draw off 
 no more. Wet a Linen Cloth in this distilled Water, and 
 wash the Face with it, at Night in Bed, and several times 
 in the Day if you please. The best time to make this 
 Water in, is May. It may be kept in a glass Bottle the 
 whole year. From The Receipt Book of Charles Carter, 
 Cook to the Duke of Argyll, 1732. 
 
 Another. 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 Liquor, 
 when you have taken it off the Fire ; add to it some Juice of 
 Lemons, and a quarter of a pint of New Milk, and two ounces 
 of Almonds, blanched and pounded, and also a quarter of a 
 pint of Damask Rose-water. Strain it, and let it stand 
 three weeks before it is us'd, wash with it, and it will render 
 the Face fair. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE A PASTE FOR THE HANDS. Take half a pound 
 of bitter Almonds, blanch and pound them, and as you are 
 
216 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 pounding them, put in a handful of ston'd Raisins, and pound 
 them together till the Mass is well incorporated and very 
 fine; then add a Spoonful or two of Brandy, the same 
 quantity of Ox Gall and two spoonfuls 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 together, 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 close, keep it cool, and it will keep good half a Year. 
 Ibid. 
 
 To CLEAN AND SOFTEN THE HANDS. Take four Ounces 
 of blanch'd Almonds beaten fine into a quart of Milk; as 
 soon as it begins to boil take it off, and thicken 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 take it off the Fire, add two small spoon- 
 fuls of Oil, and put it up in a Gallipot for use. A Bit of 
 this about the Bigness of a Walnut rubbed about the Hands, 
 the Dirt will rub off, and it will render them very soft and 
 smooth. When you have used it, it will be proper to put 
 on Gloves. If one Person only be to use it, half the quantity 
 may suffice to be made at once, for it will not hold good above 
 a Week. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE AN EXCELLENT PERFUME. Take half a pound 
 of Damask Rose Buds cut clear from the Whites, stamp 
 them well, and add to them two large Spoonfuls of Damask 
 Rose-water, put them into a Bottle, stop them close, let them 
 stand all night, then take two Ounces and a half of Benjamin, 
 beat it fine, add twenty grains of Musk, and (if you please) 
 as much Civet, mingle these with the Roses, beating all 
 well together, make it up in little Cakes, and dry them 
 between Sheets of Paper. Ibid. 
 
 TO MAKE PERFUMED WASH-BALLS. Dissolve Musk in 
 
 sweet compounded Water, then take about the quantity 
 of one Wash-ball of this Composition, and mix it together 
 
OF SWEET SCENTS 217 
 
 in a Mortar : Mix this well with your Paste, and make it 
 up into Balls. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE PERFUMED POWDER. Take four ounces of 
 Florence Orris, four ounces of dry'd Damask Roses, half an 
 Ounce of Benjamin, a quarter of an Ounce of Storax, as 
 much of yellow Saunders, half a dram of Cloves, and a little 
 Citron Peel; pound all these in a Mortar to a very fine 
 Powder, put to them five pounds of Starch pounded, mix 
 them well, sift it fine, and keep it dry for use. Ibid. 
 
 TO TAKE AWAY FRECKLES AND MORPHEW. Distil Elder 
 
 Leaves in May, and wash with a Spunge with this Liquor 
 Morning and Evening, and let it dry of itself. Ibid. 
 
 DELICATE WASH-BALLS. Take four Ounces of the 
 Flowers of Lavender, 4 ounces of Calamus Aromaticus, 2 
 ounces of Rose Leaves, 2 ounces of Cypress, and 6 Ounces of 
 Orris ; pound all these together in a Mortar, then searse them 
 through a fine searse, then having scraped a sufficient 
 quantity of Castile Soap, dissolve it in Rose-Water, mix the 
 Powder with them, beat and blend them well together, in a 
 Mortar, then make them up into Balls. Ibid. 
 
 To MAKE A SWEET-BAG FOR LINEN. Take of Orris roots, 
 sweet Calamus, cypress-roots, of dried Lemon-peel, and dried 
 Orange-peel ; of each a pound ; a peck of dried roses ; make 
 all these into a gross powder; coriander-seed four ounces, 
 nutmegs an ounce and a half, an ounce of cloves ; make all 
 these into fine powder and mix with the other; add musk 
 and ambergris; then take four large handfuls of lavender 
 flowers dried and rubbed; of sweet -marjoram, orange- 
 leaves, and young walnut-leaves, of each a handful, all dried 
 and rubb'd ; mix all together, with some bits of cotton per- 
 fum'd with essences, and put it up into silk bags to lay with 
 your Linnen. E. Smith, The Compleat Housewife, 1736. 
 
 RECIPE FOR POT POURRI. Thoroughly dry the flowers 
 to be used. There must be no particle of moisture left 
 
2i8 A GARDEN OF HERBS 
 
 as it would mould, and spoil the whole. The best flowers 
 for the purpose are roses (damask) Moss-roses, and the old 
 cabbage-roses best of all, lavender, clove carnations, wood- 
 ruff, rosemary, violets, sweet-verbena and in fact any sweet- 
 smelling flowers. Leaves of the sweet bay, Sweet Briar, 
 Balm, Lemon, Thyme, and even a little Mint, are all good. 
 The rind of a lemon or two, and the rind of Tangerine and 
 oranges (cut in strips), may be added. Have ready a mixture 
 composed of one pound of Kitchen 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 teaspoonful of all- 
 spice and I oz. of oil of Bergamot. The Bay salt must be 
 pounded and all the dry ingredients well mixed, then add 
 the Bergamot, and mix againe. Put a layer of this at the 
 bottom of your jar, then a layer of dried flowers alternatively 
 and keep the jar closed. Turn it over frequently especially 
 at first. 1 
 
 EAU DE COLOGNE. One pint rectified spirits, one ounce 
 orange-flower water, two drams oil of bergamot, two drams 
 oil of lemon, twenty minims oil of rosemary, twenty minims 
 oil of neroli. Allow the mixture to stand for a couple of 
 months, thoroughly shaking at intervals. Filter if necessary. 
 Mrs. Charles Roundell, The Still-room. 
 
 For Lavender Water, see under Lavender. 
 
 1 Miss Lydia Fraser, of the Manse of Sprouston, Kelso, kindly 
 gave me this excellent old Scotch Receipt. 
 
" Thus have I ended my booke . . . and yf to some I 
 shall seeme not fullye to have satisfied their desyres herein 
 accordinge to their expectation or not so cunninglye have 
 handled the same as the matter itself offereth and is worthy 
 of, then I referre my selfe wholye to ye learned correction 
 of the wise, desyrynge theym frendelye to geeve knowledge 
 to the printer, or to me, and beinge detected of my fault, 
 wyll wyllyngelye correct and amend the same : for well I 
 wotte that no treatise can alwaies so workmanly be handeled 
 but that somewhat sometimes may fall out amisse contrary 
 both to the minde of the wryter and contrary to the expecta- 
 tion of the reader. Wherefore my petition to the gentle 
 reader is to accept these my trevails with that minde I do offer 
 them to thee and to take gentelye that I geeve gladly, in so 
 doinge I shal thinke my paynes well bestowed and shal be 
 encouraged hereafter to trust more, unto thy curtesye. 
 And therefore I era we at thy handes the thankefull accept- 
 ance of these rude labours of myne. The favour of God 
 bee with thee al way es." -Thomas Hill, The Proffitable Arte 
 ofGardeninge, 1568. 
 
 219 
 
AUTHORITIES 
 
 MSS. Herbals (Harleian 2378; Sloane 2584; Sloane 521; Harleian 
 5294; Harleian 4986; Harleian 1585; Additional MS. 17063; 
 Sloane 282; Sloane 1201; Sloane 3215). 
 
 1440. The Feate of Gardening. MAYSTER JON GARDENER." 
 
 1525. Here begynnyth a new matter the whiche sheweth ye vertues 
 and proprytes of herbes the whiche is called an herball. Im- 
 printed by me RICHARD BANCKES, etc. 
 
 1525. The Little Herball. 
 
 1526. The Grete Herball. PETER TREVERIS. 
 
 1527. The virtuose boke of Distyllacion of the waters of all maner 
 Herbes. . . . First made and compyled by the thyrte yeres 
 study and labour of the most conynge and famous mayster of 
 phisyke, Master JHEROM BRUNSWYKE. And now newly 
 translated out of Duyche into Englysshe. 
 
 1530. Macers Herbal, practysed by Doctor Lynacro. Translated 
 out of Laten into Englysshe, which shewynge their operacyons 
 and vertues set in the margent of this Boke to the extent you 
 myght know theyr vertues. Imprinted by me ROBERT WYER. 
 
 1530. A boke of the propertys of herbes the whiche is called an 
 Herball. Imprinted by me ROBERT REDMAN. 
 
 I 535- A newe Herbale of Macer. Imprinted by me ROBERT 
 WYER. 
 
 1539. The Grete Herball newly corrected. THOMAS GYBSON. 
 
 1541. A boke of the propertyes of herbes. Imprinted by THOMAS 
 PETYT. 
 
 1546. A boke of the propertyes of herbes the whiche is called an 
 Herball. Imprinted by me WYLLYAM MIDDYLTON. (The 
 only copy of this is in the Bodleian Library.) 
 
 1548. The names of herbes in Greek, Latin, Englishe, Duche and 
 Frenche with the commune names that Herbane's and 
 Apotecaries use. WILLIAM TURNER. 
 
 1550. A little Herball of the properties of Herbes newly amended 
 and corrected with certayne Additions at the end of the boke 
 declaring what Herbes hath influence of certain sterres and 
 constellations whereby may be chosen the best and most lucky 
 tymes and dayes of their ministration according to the moon 
 beyng in the signes of heaven the which is daily appointed in 
 the AJmanacke. (The book does not contain the " certayne 
 Additions " mentioned above and Mr. H. B. BARLOW is of 
 opinion that they were never printed.) 
 
 220 
 
AUTHORITIES 221 
 
 1551. A newe Herball . . . made by WILLIAM TURNER, Phisicion 
 unto the Duke of Somersettes Grace. 
 
 Undated but probably between 1555 and 1561. A boke of the 
 properties of Herbes called an herball, whereunto is added 
 the time ye herbes flowes and sedes shold be gathered to be 
 kept the whole yere with the vertue of the Herbes when they 
 are stilled . Also a general rule of all maner of Herbes drawen out 
 of an ancient boke of Physyck by W. C. Imprinted by JOHN 
 KYNE. 
 
 1560. The secrets of Albertus Magnus. 
 
 1561. The greate Herball which geueth parfyte knowledge and 
 understandinge of al maner of herbes and theyr gracious vertues 
 which God hath ordeyned for our prosperous welfare and 
 health for they heale and cure all maner of diseases and seke- 
 nesses that fall or mysfortune too all maner of creatures of God 
 created, practised by many experte and wyse masters. 
 Imprinted by JOHN KYNGE. 
 
 1562. The second e parte of William Turner's herball . . . with 
 the vertues of the same herbes with diverse confutations of 
 no small errours that men of no small learning have committed 
 in the intreatinge of herbes of late years. 
 
 1567. A Greene Forest. J. MAPLET. 
 
 1568. The Profitable Arte of Gardeninge. THOMAS HILL. 
 
 1576. A proper new Booke of Cookerie, RICHARD PYNSEN. 
 
 1577. The Gardener's Labyrinth. THOMAS HILL (finished by 
 HENRY DETHICKE). 
 
 1577. Joyfull Newes out of the newe founde worlde. Englished 
 by J. FRAMPTON. 
 
 1578. A niewe Herball or Historic of Plantes : wherein is con- 
 tayned the whole discourse and perfect discription of all sortes 
 of Herbes and Plantes . . . their strange Figures, Fashions 
 and Shapes : their Names, Natures Operations and Vertues : 
 and that not only of those which are here growyng in our 
 Countrie of Englande but of all others also of forrayne Realmes. 
 First set forth in the Doutche or Almayne tongue by that 
 learned doctor Rembert Dodoens Physition to the Emperour. 
 Translated into English by Henry Lyte Esquire. 
 
 1580. Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry. TUSSER. 
 1584. The Garden of Health. W. LANGHAM. 
 
 1584. The Discoverie of Witchcraft. REGINATO SCOT. 
 
 1585. The Good Housewife's Jewel and rare Conceits in Cookery. 
 T. DAWSON. 
 
 1586. The Treasurie of Commodious Conceits and Hidden Secrets. 
 JOHN PARTRIDGE. 
 
 1587. An Herbal for the Bible. LEONIUS LEMNIUS. 
 
 1587. The Breviare of Health. ANDREW BOORD. 
 
 1588. The Good Housewive's Treasurie. EDWARD ALLDE. 
 1594- Delights for Ladies. Sir HUGH PLATT. 
 
 1594. The Jewell House of Art and Nature. Sir HUGH PLATT. 
 
222 AUTHORITIES 
 
 1597. The Herball . JOHN GERARD. 
 
 1600. The Countrie Farme. LIEBAULT-SURFLET. 
 
 1606. Ram's little Dodoen. W. RAM. 
 
 1615. Country Contentments. GERVASE MARKHAM. 
 
 1615. A Garden of Flowers. Faithfully and truely translated 
 out of the Netherlandish originall into English for the common 
 benefite of those that understand no other languages and also 
 for the benefite of others. Newly printed both in the Latin 
 and French tongues and all at the charges of the Author. 
 CRISPIN DE PASSE. 
 
 1618. A new Orchard and Garden. W. LAWSON. 
 
 1621. A delightful daily exercise for Ladies and Gentlemen. JOHN 
 MURRELL. 
 
 1625. Sylva Sylvarum. FRANCIS BACON. 
 
 1626. Adam out of Eden. ADOLPHUS SPEED. 
 1629. Paradisi. JOHN PARKINSON. 
 
 1639. A Discovery of Infinite Treasure hidden since the World's 
 Beginning. GABRIEL PLATTES. 
 
 1639. The Charitable Physitian. PHILBERT GUIBERT. 
 
 1640. Theatrum Botanicum. JOHN PARKINSON. 
 
 1651. Le Jardine de Plaisir. ANDRE MOLLET. 
 
 1652. The Ladies Dispensatory. LEONARD So WERE Y. 
 
 1653. A Book of Fruits and Flowers. 
 
 1653. The English Physitian or an Astrologo-Physical Discourse 
 of the Vulgar Herbs of this Nation. 
 
 1653. A choice Manuall or rare and select secrets in Physick and 
 Chirurgery by ELIZABETH GREY, Countess of Kent. 
 
 1654. The Art of Cookery. JOSEPH COOPER (Cook to Charles I). 
 
 1655. The Queen's Closet Opened . W. M. (Cook to Queen Henrietta 
 Maria). 
 
 1655. The Ladies Cabinet Opened. PATRICK LORD RUTHVEN. 
 
 1655. Healths Improvement. T. MUFFET. 
 
 1655. The Complete Cook. 
 
 1656. The Art of Simpling. WILLIAM COLES. 
 
 1659. The Compleat Husbandman. SAMUEL HARTLEB. 
 
 1660. The Art and Mystery of Cookery. 
 
 1664. The Complete Gardener's Practice. STEPHEN BLAKE. 
 1666. Kalendarium Hortense. JOHN EVELYN. 
 
 1668. Choice and Experimental Receipts. Sir KENELM DIGBY. 
 
 1669. The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Opened. Sir KENELM 
 DIGBY. 
 
 1670. The English Gardener. LEONARD MEAGER. 
 
 1671. The Art and Mystery of Cooking Approved by the Fifty-five 
 Years' Experience and Industry. ROBERT MAY. 
 
 1675. The Queen-like Closet. WILLIAM RABISHA. 
 
AUTHORITIES 223 
 
 1677. The Curious Distillatory or the Art of distilling coloured 
 liquors, spirits, oyls, etc., from vegetables, animals, minerals 
 and metals. A thing hitherto known to few. THOMAS SHIRLEY, 
 Physician in ordinary to Charles II. 
 
 1682. A Perfect School of Instructions for the Officers of the Month. 
 GILES ROSE (Cook to Charles II). 
 
 1683. The Scots Gardener. JOHN REID. 
 1692. The Good Housewife. THOMAS TRYON. 
 
 1694. The Compleat Herbal of Physical Plants. J. PECHEY. 
 
 1699. The Compleat Gardner. JOHN EVELYN. 
 
 1699. Acetaria. JOHN EVELYN. 
 
 1710. The English Herbal. WILLIAM SALMON. 
 
 1710. England's newest way in all sorts of Cookery. HENRY 
 
 HOWARD (Free Cook of London). 
 1712. A Complete History of Drugs. PIERRE POMET. 
 
 1715. The Nobleman, Gentleman, and Garden Recreation. STEPHEN 
 SURTZER. 
 
 1716. Royal Cookery or the Complete Court Cook. PATRICK 
 LAMB (Head Cook successively to Charles II, James II, William, 
 Mary and Anne). 
 
 1716. The Compleat Herbal of Tournefort, translated by J. 
 
 MARTYN. 
 
 1719. The Queen's Royal Cookery. T. HALL. 
 1719. The Accomplished Lady's Delight. Mrs. MARY EALES 
 
 (Confectioner to Queen Anne). 
 1723. The Receipt Book of John Nott (Cook to the Duke of 
 
 Bolton). 
 1726. The Cooks and Confectioners Dictionary. JOHN NOTT 
 
 (Cook to the Duke of Bolton). 
 1732. The Compleat City and Country Cook. CHARLES CARTER 
 
 (Cook to the Duke of Argyll). 
 
 1732. The Country Housewife and Lady's Director. R. BRADLEY. 
 1734, Five Hundred Receipts. JOHN MIDDLETON. 
 
 1736. The Complete Housewife. E. SMITH. 
 
 1737. A curious Herbal. ELIZABETH BLACKWELL. 
 1737. The Complete Family Piece. 
 
 1 739- New Treatise of Husbandry. Gardening and other Curious 
 
 Matters. SAMUEL TROWELL. 
 1739. The Housekeeper's Pocket Book. SARAH HARRISON. 
 
 1744. The Modern Cook. VINCENT LA CHAPELLE (Chief Cook to 
 the Prince of Orange). 
 
 1745. A Treatise of all Sorts of Food. L. LEMERY. 
 1750. The Prudent Housewife. Mrs. FISHER. 
 1754. The Director. SARAH JACKSON. 
 
 1759. A New and Easy Method of Cookery. ELIZABETH CLELAND. 
 1767. The Modern Art of Cookery. Mrs. ANNE SHACKLEFORD of 
 
 Winchester. 
 1772. Virtues of British Herbs. Sir JOHN HILL. 
 
324 AUTHORITIES 
 
 1780. Flora Londiniensis. W. CURTIS. 
 
 1784. The Art of Cookery. Mrs. GLASSE. 
 
 1788. The English Art of Cookery. RICHARD BRIGGS. 
 
 1789. The Compleat Kitchen Gardener. JOHN ABERCROMBIE. 
 
 1790. Historical and Biographical Sketches. R. PULTENEY. 
 1810, The Family Herbal. R. THORNTON. 
 
 1822. Encyclopaedia of Gardening. R. LONDON. 
 
 1861. The Physicians of Myddvai. JOHN PUGHE. 
 
 1865. Leechdoms, Wortcunning and Starcraft. O. COCKAYNE. 
 
 1881. A History of the Cries of London. C. HINDLEY. 
 
 1884. Botanique et Plantes Medicinales. A. Bossu. 
 
 1885. Manuel d'histoire Naturelle Medicale. J. L. DE LANESSAN. 
 1893. Plant Atlas to my Water-cure. S. KNEIPP. 
 
 1896. Le Jardin de 1'Herboriste. H. CONEVON. 
 
 1897. Herbal Simples. Dr. FERNIE. 
 
 1899. Medical Works of the Fourteenth Century. G. HENSLOW. 
 
 1901. The Book of Herbs. Lady ROSALIND NORTHCOTE. 
 
 1904. The Fitzpatrick Lectures for 1903. J. F. PAYNE. 
 
 1910. A History of Gardening in England. The Hon. Mrs. EVELYN 
 CECIL. 
 
 1911. The Herb Garden. Mrs. BARDSWELL. 
 
 1912. The English Housewife in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth 
 Centuries. R. M. BRADLEY. 
 
 1912. Transactions of the Bibliographical Society. 
 
INDEX 
 
 Acetaria, 1699, 59 
 Aches, Ointment for, 212 
 Additional Receipts, 187 
 Agrimony, 29 
 
 Tea, 29 
 
 Albertus Magnus, 88 
 Alfred, King, 8 
 Allde, Edward, 78 
 Almond Milk, Dr. Twin's, 
 Almonds, Leach of, 187 
 Amherst, Miss, 7 
 Angelica, 30 
 
 to candy, 31 
 
 to candy leaves, 31 
 
 to preserve roots, 31 
 
 water, 31 
 Aniseed, 32 
 
 Tea, 32 
 
 Art of Gardening, 10 
 Artichoke, Globe, 32-36 
 
 the Brigoule way, 36 
 
 Broiled, 35 
 
 to fry, 34 
 
 to fry young, 35 
 
 the Italian way, 36 
 
 Potted, 35 
 
 Pie, 34, 35 
 preserving of, 33 
 Resoles, 34 
 to stew, 34 
 Ashley, Sir Anthony, 3 
 
 Bacon, 13 
 Bald, 8 
 
 Balls for Lent, 187 
 Balm, 36 
 
 Water, to make, 37 
 
 Wine, 38 
 
 Tea, 38 
 
 Bardswell, Mrs., 15 
 Basil, 38 
 
 Q 
 
 Bath, to make sweet-scented, 
 
 214 
 
 Betony, 40 
 Conserve of, 41 
 Green Salve or Betonian 
 
 Ointment, 43 
 Tea, 41 
 
 Biscuits of Red Beet-root, 187 
 187 Boniface, 8 
 
 Book of Fruits and Flowers, 
 
 1653, 54 
 
 Book of I ago ab Dewi, 65 
 Borage, 42 
 
 to candy, 43 
 
 conserve, 43 
 Bradley, R., no, 163, 188, 
 
 194, 195, 215 
 Bramble, 43 
 
 Wine, 44 
 
 Bread Turnip, 198 
 Briggs, Richard, 38, 51, 75, 
 118, 122, 131, 174, 184, 
 198 
 
 British Herbal, 1772, 64 
 Broom, 44 
 
 to pickle, 45 
 
 Bruises, Ointment for, 212 
 Bugloss, 44 
 
 Syrup of, 45 
 Bur net, 44 
 
 Camomile, 46 
 
 to make Oyle of, 47 
 
 Tea, 47 
 Candy, to candy Flowers, 
 
 190, 191, 193 
 Caraway, 47 
 
 Carter, Charles, 51, 81, 164, 
 172, 175, 180, 194, 215 
 Caudle, Flummery, 
 
 for Sweet Pies, 189 
 225 
 
226 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Chapelle, Vincent La, 36, 49, 
 
 94, 129, 159 
 Charitable Physitian, 1639, 
 
 45, 52 
 Chaucer, 7 
 
 Chertsey-on-Thames, 13 
 Chervil, 48 
 
 Broth, 49 
 
 Pottage, 49 
 Chickweed, 49 
 
 Tea, 50 
 Cild, 9 
 
 Cinnamon Tostes, 189 
 Clary, 50 
 
 Fritters, 51 
 
 Wine, 50 
 
 Cleland, Elizabeth, 31, 105, 
 in, 120, 131, 159, 189 
 Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby 
 Opened, 103, 123, 137, 
 153, 169, 175, 176 
 Coles, W., 16, 88 
 Coltsfoot, 51 
 
 Syrup, 52 
 
 Tea, 52 
 
 Complete Cook, 1655, 160 
 Complete Family Piece, 1737, 
 
 197 
 Cooper, Joseph, 34, 54, 59, 
 
 118, 121, 156 
 Coriander, 52 
 
 Water, 53 
 
 Country Housewife, 81, 85 
 Country Housewife's Garden, 
 
 10 
 Cowslip, 53 
 
 to candy, 55 -\ 
 
 to conserve, 54 
 
 Cream, 54 
 
 Pickled, 55 
 
 Pudding, 56 
 
 Salates, 54 
 
 Syrup, 56 
 
 Syrupe of, 55 
 
 Tart, 55 
 
 Cowslip Wine, 56 
 
 Damask Powder, 211 
 Dandelion, 57 
 
 Tea, 57 
 
 Wine, 57 
 
 Danish Invasions, 8 
 Dawson, T., 66 
 Delightful Daily Exercise for 
 Ladies and Gentlemen, 
 1621, 50 
 
 De Naturis Rerum, 9 
 Dethicke, Henry, 93 
 Devonshire Cottage Gardens, 
 
 14 
 
 Digby, Sir Kenelm, 103, 213 
 
 Dill, 58 
 
 to pickle Cucumbers in, 58 
 and Colly-Flower Pickle, 59 
 
 Druids, 8 
 
 Dutch Garden, 6 
 
 Eales, Mrs. Mary, 55, 192 
 Eau de Cologne, 218 
 Elder, 59 
 
 Flower Fritters, 61 
 
 Leaves for Freckles, 60 
 
 Leaf Tea, 62 
 
 to pickle, buds, 60 
 
 to pickle, tops, 60 
 
 Syrup, Lady Thornbury's, 60 
 
 Vinegar, 61 
 
 Wine, 61 
 
 Elder Blossom and Pepper- 
 mint Tea, 62 
 Elder Tree, n 
 Elecampane, 62 
 
 Conserve of root, 63 
 
 Paste for lung troubles, 63 
 
 Tonic, 64 
 Endive, 64 
 
 Salate of with Succory, 64 
 English Housewife of the 
 Seventeenth and Eigh- 
 teenth Centuries, 13 
 
INDEX 
 
 227 
 
 Evelyn, John, 35, 45, 55, 70, 
 81, 93, 120, 122, 132, 
 
 I35> 147, 152, 157, 198 
 Eyebright, 65 
 Tea, 65 
 
 Face, Water for, 215 
 Fairies, to enable one to see, 
 
 133 
 
 Fairy Butter, to make, 189 
 Feate of Gardening, 1440, 7 
 Fennel, 65 
 
 to make one slender, 66 
 
 a Sallet of, 66 
 
 to make white, 67 
 
 arid Gooseberry Sauce, 67 
 
 to pickle, 67 
 
 Tea, 67 
 
 Fernie, Dr., 38, 44, 56 
 Feverfew, 67 
 
 to cure headache, 67 
 
 Tea, 68 
 
 Fifteenth-century Herb Gar- 
 dens, 7 
 
 Flowers, to keep all the year, 
 191 
 
 to pickle, 191 
 
 to make Syrups of, 191 
 Fourteenth-century Herb 
 
 Garden, 6 
 
 Fox, Charles James, 13 
 Freckles, to take away, 60, 
 
 217 
 French Puffs, to make with 
 
 green herbs, 192 
 Fritters, Vine Leaf, 198 
 
 Gardener, Jon, 7, 53 
 Gardener's Labyrinth, 1577, 63 
 Gerard, John, 18 
 Gillyflowers, 68 
 
 to candy, 70 
 
 to make Clove Wine, 71 
 
 Conserve of, 70 
 
 Syrup of Clove, 69 
 
 Gillyflowers, Syrup, 71 
 Vinegar, 70 
 Wine, 70 
 Glasse, Mrs., 150 
 Good Housewife's Handbook, 
 
 47, 84, 91, 128, 129, 154, 
 
 156 
 Good Housewife's Jewell, 
 
 1585, 109, 112, 146, 166, 
 
 198, 199 
 
 Gooseberry Vinegar, 192 
 Grete Herball, 1539, 89 
 Grey, Elizabeth, Countess of 
 
 Kent, 169, 190 
 Ground Ivy, 72 
 
 Tea, 72 
 Guibert, Philbert, 45, 52, 78, 
 
 135, 168 
 
 Hand water, a Scottish, 211 
 Harrison, Sarah, 71 
 Hartlib, Samuel, 3 
 Hawes, Stephen, 21 
 Hayden, E. G., 56, 58, 62, 
 
 105, 186 
 
 Helias, Patriarch of Jeru- 
 salem, 8 
 
 Herb Butter, 188 
 Herb Drinks and Home- 
 made Wines, 165 
 Apple, Peach or Pear 
 
 Water, 173 
 Apple, Sugar and Honey, 
 
 170 
 
 Apricot Wine, 181 
 Birch Wine, 183 
 Bitters, 174 
 Black Cherry Water for 
 
 Children, 173 
 Caudle, White, 173 
 Champagne, English, 182 
 Cherry Wine, 180, 181 
 Cinamon Water, 170 
 Cordial, Dr. Butler's, 168, 
 169, 172, 173 
 
228 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Herb Drinks and Home- 
 made Wines (continued) 
 Currant Water, 172 
 Currant Wine, 184, 186 
 Damson Wine, 180 
 Delicious Wine, 174 
 Drink, an excellent, 165 
 The Drinke, 166 
 Flummery Caudle, 189 
 Frontiniac Wine, 182 
 Good advice for Home- 
 made, 171 
 
 Gooseberry Wine, 180 
 Hordeat or Mundified 
 
 Barley, 167 
 Hydromel, 169 
 Hypocras, 168, 170, 171 
 Lemon Wine, 174 
 Mead, 178, 179 
 Metheglin, 176 
 Milk Water, 172 
 Morello Wine, 178, 181 
 Mountain Wine, 182 
 Mum, 178 
 
 Orange Brandy, 185 
 Orange-Flower Brandy, 
 
 173 
 
 Orange Shrub, 174 
 Posset of Herbs, 165 
 Quince Wine, 183 
 Raisin Wine, 178-185 
 Raspberry Water, 172 
 Raspberry Wine, 175 
 Rosa Solis, 166 
 Sack or Saragossa Wine, 
 
 182 
 
 Seed Water, 174 
 Sloe Gin, 186 
 Souvereigne Water, 167 
 Spirit of Wine, 167 
 Turnip Drink, 177, 184 
 Tysand, 166 
 Usquabath, 168 
 Water Cider, 175 
 Wine for the Gods, 171 
 
 Herb Gardens, 2 et seq. 
 Herb Pottages, 154 
 
 Brown of Herb Roots, 
 156 
 
 to make Carrot Soup, 158 
 
 of Chopped Herbs, 159 
 
 a cooling, 154, 159 
 
 Elder Leaves, 157 
 
 to make the French way, 
 158 
 
 Garlic or Onion, 155 
 
 Maigre, 157, 158 
 
 to make Soop in the Spring, 
 
 157 
 Soup de Sante for Fish 
 
 Days, 156 
 
 Spinage, 155 
 Herb Puddings, 160 
 
 Artichoke Cream and 
 Sugar, 161 
 
 Beet Root, 161 
 
 Carrot, 162, 163 
 
 a Flower, 162 
 
 Green, 160 
 
 Herb, 163 
 
 Herb Dumplings, 164 
 
 Potatoe, 163 
 
 Spinage, 161 
 
 Taffety Tarts, 160 
 
 Tansy, 161 
 
 Tart of Herbs, 162 
 Herb Robert, 72 
 Herbal Simples, 44 
 Herber, 6 
 
 Herbs, how to draw the blood 
 of, 188 
 
 picking and drying of, 200 
 Hill, Sir John, 4, 13, 64, 126, 
 
 139 
 
 Hill, Thomas, 10, 63 
 
 Historie of Graunde Amour 
 and la bell Pucell called 
 the Pastime of Pleasure, 
 
 1554, 21 
 Horehound, 72 
 
INDEX 
 
 229 
 
 Horehound, Candied, 73 
 
 Tea, 73 
 Howard, Henry, 67, 71, 171, 
 
 193,214 ' 
 Hyssop, 73 
 
 Syrup of, for colds, 74 
 Tea, 73 
 
 Water, to improve com- 
 plexion, 74 
 
 Insomnia, a bag to smell for, 
 
 210 
 Ipswich Ball, 212 
 
 Jackson, Sarah, 164, 174 
 Jessamine Water, 211 
 
 Knots for the Housewife's 
 Garden, 12, 21-28 
 
 Lamb, Patrick, 56, 125, 157 
 Lavender, 74 
 Conserve of the Flowers 
 
 of, 75 
 Tea, 75 
 Water, 75 
 Water without distillation, 
 
 ?5 
 
 Wine. See Gillyflowers. 
 Lawson, William, 10 
 Leach Book of Bald, 8 
 Lemery, L., 172 
 Lent, Balls for, 187 
 Lily of the Valley, to make 
 
 Spirit of, 214 
 Lime Flowers, 76 
 
 Tea, 76 
 
 Lime-Leaf Water, 76 
 Linen, sweet bag for, 217 
 Linnaeus, 16 
 Lovage, 76 
 
 M. W., 41, 43, 60, 64, 70, 74, 
 75, 118, 135, 138, 156, 
 169, 175, 190, 212 
 
 Mallow, 77 
 
 Mallow, a Sallet of, 78 
 Stalks, substitute for peas, 
 
 . 79 
 
 Sucket of stalks, 78 
 Marigold, 79 
 
 to pickle the flowers, 81 
 
 Pudding, 81 
 
 Wine, 81 
 Marjoram, 82 
 
 a Conserve of, 82 
 
 Wild Tea, 82 
 Markham, Gervase, 10 
 Marrow and Herb Balls, 192 
 Marsh Mallow, Syrup of, 78 
 
 to pickle the stalks, 79 
 May-Dew, how to gather, 210 
 May, Robert, 102, 147, 161, 
 
 165, 190 
 Mazes, 12 
 Meadowsweet, 83 
 
 Tea, 83 
 Melancholy, a bag to smell 
 
 for, 210 
 Middleton, John, 125, 135, 
 
 149, 199, 214 
 Mint, 83 
 
 Cat-mint Tea, 85 
 
 Pepper-mint Water, 84 
 
 To prevent milk curd- 
 ling, 84 
 
 Syrup, 84 
 
 Water, 84 
 Moon, ii 
 
 Mouth Water, 213 
 Mugwort, 85 
 
 Tea, 87 
 Mullein, 87 
 
 Milk, 87 
 
 Murrell, John, 50, 146, 192 
 Mustard, to make, 152 
 Mutton Sauce, to fry Cucum- 
 bers for, 190 
 
 Nasturtium, 89 
 to pickle Seeds, 89 
 
230 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Neckham, Alexander, 9 
 New Art of Cookery, 1788, 75 
 Norman Herb Gardens, 9 
 Nott, John, 31, 60, 67, 74, 79, 
 82, 84, 93, 104, 130, 150, 
 158, 163, 174, 178, 187, 
 
 188, 193, 197, 213 
 
 Ointment, for all sorts of 
 
 Aches and Bruises, 212 
 Old London Street Cry, 74 
 Olio, for Days of Abstinence, 
 
 193 
 Orange Flower Water, 212 
 
 Paradisi in Sole, 16 
 Parkinson, John, 16, 70 
 Parsley, 89 
 
 Sauce for a Rosted Rabbit, 
 
 90 
 
 Parsnip Cakes, 193 
 Partridge, John, 90, 98, 167, 
 
 196 
 
 Paste, for the Face, 215 
 for the Hands, 215, 216 
 of Flowers, 190 
 Payne, Dr., 8 
 
 Perfect School of Instruction 
 for the Officers of the 
 Month, 1682, 53 
 Perfume, to burn, 213 
 to perfume any Confec- 
 tions, 214 
 
 King Edward's, 212 
 an excellent, 216 
 Perfumed Powder, 217 
 Periwinkle, 2 
 Persians, 8 
 Plantain, 91 
 
 Remedy for Sore Feet, 91 
 Tea, 91 
 
 Platt, Sir Hugh, 34, 38, 60, 
 98, no, 166, 187, 188, 
 
 189, 193, 194, 199 
 Pliny, 8 
 
 Pomander, for the Brain, 210 
 
 to make a, 214 
 
 to renew the scent of, 210 
 Potatoes, 2 
 Potatoe Biscuits, 195 
 
 and Lemon Cheese Cakes, 
 194 
 
 Pie, Sweet, 194 
 
 Pudding, 195 
 
 Tart, 194 
 Pot Pourri, 217 
 Purslane, 92 
 
 Pickled, 93 
 
 Preserved, 92 
 
 Sallet of, 93 
 
 Sallet of Lettuce and, 93 
 
 Soup, 94 
 
 Queen's Closet Opened, 1655, 
 
 Rabisha, William, 67, 102, 
 
 191 
 
 Raleigh, Sir Walter, 4 
 Ram's Little Dodoen, 1606, 
 
 210 
 
 Rampion, 94 
 Rollit, Sir Albert, 13 
 Romaunt of the Rose, 7 
 Rose, 95 
 
 to candy, 102 
 
 Conserve of, 98, 102, 104 
 
 Damask Rose Syrup, 97 
 
 Drops, 104 
 
 and Gillyflowers, to keep 
 long, 98 
 
 Honey of, 97 
 
 Lozenges, 102 
 
 Ointment, 98 
 
 Oyle of, 98 
 
 Rossoly in the Italian way, 
 105 
 
 Sauce Eglantine, 104 
 
 Sirop of Rose or Violets, 96 
 
 Curious Sirup Recipe, 100 
 
INDEX 
 
 231 
 
 Rose, Sugar of, 101 
 
 Vinegar of, 97 
 
 Wafers, 103 
 Rose, Giles, 53, 65, 67, 125, 
 
 l6l, 170, 212 
 
 Rose Hips, Conserve of, 104 
 Marmalade, 105 
 to make tart of, 102 
 Rose Leaves, how to dry, 98, 
 
 99, 100, 104 
 how to candy as natural, 
 
 102 
 
 Rosemary, 106 
 to candy, 109 
 Conserve of, Flowers, no 
 See Hungary Water, no 
 Spirit of, in 
 Tea, in 
 Water, 109, no 
 Wine, in 
 Roses, how to preserve whole, 
 
 100 
 Rosewater, to make cake 
 
 with, 105 
 
 of natural colour, 101 
 Musk, 102 
 Roundell, Mrs. Charles, 75, 
 
 218 
 
 Rousseau, 14 
 Rue, in 
 Preventive against Plague, 
 
 112 
 Ruthven, Lord Patrick, 197 
 
 Saffron, 113 
 
 Syrup of, 114 
 Sage, 115 
 
 Conserve, 118 
 
 Cream, 118 
 
 Tea, 118 
 
 Water, 118 
 
 Wine, 119 
 Salerno, 8 
 Sallets, 140 
 
 of all kinds of Herbs, 146 
 
 Sallets, All sorts, 147 
 
 Broccoli in, 150 
 
 Crowned or Grand, 148 
 
 Divers Sallets boyled, 146 
 
 A grand Sallet of Divers 
 Compounds, 147 
 
 for Fish Daies, 146 
 
 of Flowers, 146 
 
 other Grand, 147 
 
 Mustard, 152 
 
 Grand, for Spring, 149, 150 
 
 Vinegar, 152 
 
 a brave Warming Salad 
 for Winter, 147 
 
 for Winter, 150 
 Sampire, 119 
 
 Pickle, 119, 120 
 Saxon Herb Gardens, 2 
 Scents, sweet, 206 
 Scurry Grass, 120 
 
 Sallet, 120 
 
 Tea, 120 
 
 Wine, 120 
 
 Shackleford, Anne, 32 
 Skirret, 121 
 
 Fried, 121 
 
 Fritters, 122 
 
 Milk, 122 
 
 Pie, 121, 122 
 Smallage, 123 
 
 Gruel, 123 
 
 Smith, E., 89, 104, 114, 122, 
 173, 182, 187, 190, 191, 
 192, 217 
 Sore places, Water Imperial 
 
 for, 199 
 Sorrel, 123 
 
 Eggs with the juice of, 124 
 
 Omelet, 125 
 
 Ragout, 125 
 
 to remote stains on hands, 
 124 
 
 Tart, 125 
 Southernwood, 126 
 
 Tea, 126 
 
232 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Speedwell, 126 
 
 Tea, 126 
 
 St. Anne's Hill, 13 
 Strawberry, 127 
 
 and Almond Tansy, 128 
 
 Cordial Water, 128 
 
 Face Wash, 128 
 
 Leaf Tea, 128 
 
 Water, 128 
 
 and Woodruff Tea, 128 
 Succory, 64 
 
 Eggs with, 65 
 Sweet Water, 213 
 Syllabub, to make, 195, 196 
 Syrop, to make, of all kinds, 
 196 
 
 Taffaty Cream, 196 
 Tansy, 129 
 
 how to make, 129 
 
 Amber Cakes, 130 
 
 Apple, 130 
 
 a good, 130 
 
 how to make, in Lent, 129 
 
 Pancakes, 130 
 
 Plain, 131 
 
 Pudding, 129 
 
 Tea, 129 
 Tarragon, 131 
 
 Vinegar, 131 
 Tart, a Spring, 197, 
 
 of Green Sprouts and 
 Herbs, 197 
 
 A Sweet-Sour, 197 
 Thistle, 131 
 
 Milk Thistle Stalks, 132 
 Thornton, R., 73, 185 
 Thyme, 132 
 
 to enable one to see the 
 Fairies, 133 
 
 Tea, 133 
 
 Travels round our Village, 56 
 Trowell, Samuel, 113 
 Tryon, T., 15, 97, 147 
 Tudor Herb Gardens, 10 
 
 Turnip Bread, J98 
 
 Stalks, 198 
 Twin's, Dr., Almond Milk, 187 
 
 Vine Leaf Fritters, 198 
 Vinegar, To make, for Salads, 
 
 152 
 Violet, 134 
 
 Cakes, 134 
 
 Conserve, 135 
 
 Honey, 135 
 
 Leaves, 135 
 
 Syrup, 135, 136 
 
 Tablet, 135 
 
 Tea, 134 
 
 Vinegar, 136 
 
 Virtuose Boke of Distyllacion 
 of the Waters of all man- 
 er Herbes, 1527, 29, 129 
 
 Walnut Kernels, 199 
 Washing Ball, a delicate, 211, 
 213, 217 
 
 a perfumed, 216 
 Water, for the face, 215 
 
 Jessamine, 211 
 
 for mouth, 213 
 
 Orange Flower, 212 
 
 Sweet, 213 
 
 Westminster Abbey, 9 
 White-Pot, to make, 199 
 Whole Body of Cookery Dis- 
 sected, 1675, 67 
 Woodruff, 136 
 
 Tea, 136 ~ 
 Wood Sorrel, 137 
 
 Gruel, 137 
 Wormwood, 137 
 
 Brandy, 138 
 
 Sugar of, 138 
 
 Water, 138 
 
 Wine, 138 
 
 Yarrow, 139 
 Tea, 139 
 
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 The Idyls of Theocritus, Bion and 
 Moschus 
 
 Rendered into English Prose, with an Introductory Essay, by 
 ANDREW LANG. Reprinted by permission of Messrs. Macmillan 
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 The First Book of Moses called Genesis 
 
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 Everyman : a Morality Play 
 
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 A DIGIT OF THE MOON A MINE OF FAULTS 
 
 THE DESCENT OF THE SUN THE ASHES OF A GOD 
 
 A HEIFER OF THE DAWN BUBBLES OF THE FOAM 
 
 IN THE GREAT GOD'S HAIR A SYRUP OF THE BEES 
 
 A DRAUGHT OF THE BLUE THE LIVERY OF EVE 
 
 AN ESSENCE OF THE DUSK THE SUBSTANCE OF A 
 AN INCARNATION OF THE DREAM 
 
 SNOW 
 
 Marius the Epicurean : His Sensations 
 and Ideas 
 
 By WALTER PATER. Reprinted by permission of Messrs. 
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 The Roadmender 
 
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 PHILIP LEE WARNER, PUBLISHER TO THE MEDICI SOCIETY, LTD. 
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