It is indeed of Nature more cold and moiſt than any of the reſt; yet leſs aſtringent, and ſo harmleſs that it may ſafely be eaten raw in Fevers; for it allays Heat, bridles Choler, extinguiſhes Thirſt, excites Appetite, kindly Nouriſhes, and above all repreſſes Vapours, conciliates Sleep, mitigates Pain; beſides the effect it has upon the Morals, Temperance and Chaſtity. Galen (whoſe beloved Sallet it was) from its pinguid, ſubdulcid and agreeable Nature, ſays it breeds the moſt laudable Blood. No marvel then that they were by the Ancients called Sana, by way of eminency, and ſo highly valu'd by the great [20]Auguſtus, that attributing his Recovery of a dangerous Sickneſs to them, 'tis reported, he erected a Statue, and built an Altar to this noble Plant. And that the moſt abſtemious and excellent Emperor [21]Tacitus (ſpending almoſt nothing at his frugal Table in other Dainties) was yet ſo great a Friend to Lettuce, that he was us'd to ſay of his Prodigality, Somnum ſe mercari illa ſumptus effuſione. How it was celebrated by Galen we have heard; how he us'd it he tells himſelf; namely, beginning with Lettuce in his younger Days, and concluding with it when he grew old, and that to his great advantage. In a word, we meet with nothing among all our crude Materials and Sallet ſtore, ſo proper to mingle with any of the reſt, nor ſo wholſome to be eaten alone, or in Compoſition, moderately, and with the uſual Oxelœum of Vinegar, Pepper, and Oyl, &c. which laſt does not ſo perfectly agree with the Alphange, to which the Juice of Orange, or Limon and Sugar is more deſirable: Ariſtoxenus is reported to have irrigated his Lettuce-Beds with an Oinomelite, or mixture of Wine and Honey: And certainly 'tis not for nothing that our Garden-Lovers, and Brothers of the Sallet, have been ſo exceedingly Induſtrious to cultivate this Noble Plant, and multiply its Species; for to name a few in preſent uſe: We have the Alphange of Montpelier, criſp and delicate; the Arabic; Ambervelleres; Belgrade, Cabbage, Capuchin, Coſs-Lettuce, Curl'd; the Genoa (laſting all the Winter) the Imperial, Lambs, or Agnine, and Lobbs or Lop-Lettuces. The French Minion a dwarf kind: The Oak-Leaf, Paſſion, Roman, Shell, and Sileſian, hard and crimp (eſteemed of the beſt and rareſt) with divers more: And here let it be noted, that beſides three or four ſorts of this Plant, and ſome few of the reſt, there was within our remembrance, rarely any other Salleting ſerv'd up to the beſt Tables; with unblanch'd Endive, Succory, Purſelan, (and indeed little other variety) Sugar and Vinegar being the conſtant Vehicles (without Oyl) but now Sugar is almoſt wholly baniſh'd from all, except the more effeminate Palates, as too much palling, and taking from the grateful Acid now in uſe, tho' otherwiſe not totally to be reproved: Lettuce boil'd and Condited is ſometimes ſpoken of.
35. Limon, Limonia, citrea mala; exceedingly refreſhing, Cordial, &c. The Pulp being blended with the Juice, ſecluding the over-ſweet or bitter. See Orange.
36. Mallow, Malva; the curl'd, emollient, and friendly to the Ventricle, and ſo rather Medicinal; yet may the Tops, well boil'd, be admitted, and the reſt (tho' out of uſe at preſent) was taken by the Poets for all Sallets in general. Pythagoras held Malvæ folium Sanctiſimum; and we find Epimenides in [22]Plato at his Mallows and Aſphodel; and indeed it was of old the firſt Diſh at Table: The Romans had it alſo in deliciis, [23]Malvæ ſalubres corpori, approved by [24]Galen and [25]Dioſcorides; namely the Garden-Mallow, by others the Wild; but I think both proper rather for the Pot, than Sallet. Nonius ſuppoſes the tall Roſea, Arboreſcent Holi-hocks, that bears the broad Flower, for the beſt, and very [26]Laxative; but by reaſon of their clammineſs and Lentor, baniſhed from our Sallet, tho' by ſome commended and eaten with Oyl and Vinegar, and ſome with Butter.
Mercury, Bonus Henricus, Engliſh Mercury, or Lapathum Unctuoſum. See Blitum.
37. Melon, Melo; to have been reckon'd rather among Fruits; and tho' an uſual Ingredient in our Sallet; yet for its tranſcendent delicacy and flavor, cooling and exhilarating Nature (if ſweet, dry, weighty, and well-fed) not only ſuperior all the Gourd-kind, but Paragon with the nobleſt Productions of the Garden. Joſ. Scaliger and Caſaubon, think our Melon unknown to the Ancients, (which others contradict) as yet under the name of Cucumers: But he who reads how artificially they were Cultivated, rais'd under Glaſſes, and expos'd to the hot Sun, (for Tiberius) cannot well doubt of their being the ſame with ours.
There is alſo a Winter-Melon, large and with black Seeds, exceedingly Cooling, brought us from abroad, and the hotter Climates, where they drink Water after eating Melons; but in the colder (after all diſpute) Wine is judg'd the better: That it has indeed by ſome been accus'd as apt to corrupt in the Stomach (as do all things elſe eaten in exceſs) is not deny'd: But a perfect good Melon is certainly as harmleſs a Fruit as any whatſoever; and may ſafely be mingl'd with Sallet, in Pulp or Slices, or more properly eaten by it ſelf, with a little Salt and Pepper; for a Melon which requires Sugar to commend it, wants of Perfection. Note, That this Fruit was very rarely cultivated in England, ſo as to bring it to Maturity, till Sir Geo. Gardner came out of Spain. I my ſelf remembring, when an ordinary Melon would have been ſold for five or ſix Shillings. The ſmall unripe Fruit, when the others are paſt, may be Pickl'd with Mango, and are very delicate.
38. Mint, Mentha; the Anguſtifolia Spicata, Spear-Mint; dry and warm, very fragrant, a little preſs'd, is friendly to the weak Stomach, and powerful againſt all Nervous Crudities: The gentler Tops of the Orange-Mint, enter well into our Compoſition, or are grateful alone (as are alſo the other ſorts) with the Juice of Orange, and a little Sugar.
39. Muſhroms, Fungi; By the [27]Orator call'd Terræ, by Porphyry Deorum filii, without Seed (as produc'd by the Midwifry of Autumnal Thunder-Storms, portending the Miſchief they cauſe) by the French, Champignons, with all the Species of the Boletus, &c. for being, as ſome hold, neither Root, Herb, Flower, nor Fruit, nor to be eaten crude; ſhould be therefore baniſh'd entry into our Sallet, were I to order the Compoſition; however ſo highly contended for by many, as the very principal and top of all the reſt; whilſt I think them tolerable only (at leaſt in this Climate) if being freſh and skilfully choſen, they are accommodated with the niceſt Care and Circumſpection; generally reported to have ſomething malignant and noxious in them: Nor without cauſe; from the many ſad Examples, frequent Miſchiefs, and funeſt Accidents they have produc'd, not only to particular Perſons, but whole Families: Exalted indeed they were to the ſecond Courſe of the Cæsarian Tables, with the noble Title Βρωμα θεων,
a Dainty fit for the Gods alone; to whom they ſent the Emperor [28]Claudius, as they have many ſince, to the other World. But he that reads how [29]Seneca deplores his loſt Friend, that brave Commander Annæus Serenus, and ſeveral other gallant Perſons with him, who all of them periſh'd at the same Repaſt; would be apt to ask with the [30]Naturaliſt (ſpeaking of this ſuſpicious Dainty) Quæ voluptas tanta ancipitis cibi? and who indeed would hazard it? So true is that of the Poet; He that eats Muſhroms, many time Nil amplius edit, eats no more perhaps all his Life after. What other deterring Epithets are given for our Caution, Βαρη πνιγοεντα μυκητων,
heavy and choaking. (Athenæus reporting of the Poet Euripides's, finding a Woman and her three Children ſtrangl'd by eating of them) one would think ſufficient warning.