The Mysteryes of Nature and Art / Conteined in foure severall Tretises, The first of water workes, The second of Fyer workes, The third of Drawing, Colouring, Painting, and Engraving, The fourth of divers Experiments, as wel serviceable as delightful: partly Collected, and partly of the Authors Peculiar Practice, and Invention

by John Bate

Take a handfull of soot, a spoonfull of bay salt, halfe a spoonfull of pepper; bruse them together, and temper them with two yelks of egs; spread it on a cloth, and lay it to the wrists.

Almond milke for the cough of the lungs.

Take foure spoonfuls of French barly well washed, and boyle it in three wine pints of faire water, unto a pint and a halfe; then take it from the fire, and let it coole, and settle; then take the cleere liquor, and straine therewith a quarter of a pound of sweet almonds blanched, and beaten; then set it on the fire, and let it boyle a while till it begin to grow thick; then beat two yelks of egs, and put them to it; stirre them well together, and put to it as much fine suger as will sweeten it, and a spoonfull of damask rose water, and so let it boyle a while longer, till it be as thick as good creame; eat of it warm twice or thrice a day, but at breakfast especially.

For a scald head.

Take a pinte of running water, and as much Mercury as a good walnut, three or foure branches of Rosemary; boyle these all together till a third part be boyled away, or thereabout, and every morning and evening wash the infected place with some of this water cold, and a quarter of an houre after or lesse anoint the place with lamp oyle, and every morning after the first dressing try to pull up some of the hayre as easily as you can: have care where you set this water, for it is poyson. If you shave the head, and apply a plaster called Emplastrum Cephalicum cum Euphorbio, it is also excellent.

For to heale a red face that hath many pimples. Proved.

Take foure ounces of barrowes grease, and as much oyle of bayes, halfe an ounce of quicksilver killed with fasting spettle, then take two spoonfuls of wilde tansie water, or honisuckle water, and let all be ground in a morter three houres at the least, untill you see nothing of the quicksilver, and so keep it close in a glasse; the older, the better; and when you go to bed anoint the face, and look that you keep it from your eyes.

To wash the Face, if it be given to heat.

Take Snailes, beat them shels and bodies together: steep them a night in new milke: then still them with the flowers of white Lillies.

To make Vsquebach.