The Barbary Quince is like in goodnesse vnto the Portingall Quince last spoken of, but lesser in bignesse.
The Lyons Quince.
The Brunswicke Quince.
The Vse of Quinces.
There is no fruit growing in this Land that is of so many excellent vses as this, seruing as well to make many dishes of meate for the table, as for banquets, and much more for the Physicall vertues, whereof to write at large is neither conuenient for mee, nor for this worke: I will onely briefly recite some, as it were to giue you a taste of that plenty remaineth therein, to bee conuerted into sundry formes: as first for the table, while they are fresh (and all the yeare long after being pickled vp) to be baked, as a dainty dish, being well and orderly cookt. And being preserued whole in Sugar, either white or red, serue likewise, not onely as an after dish to close vp the stomacke, but is placed among other Preserues by Ladies and Gentlewomen, and bestowed on their friends to entertaine them, and among other sorts of Preserues at Banquets. Codimacke also and Marmilade, Ielly and Paste, are all made of Quinces, chiefly for delight and pleasure, although they haue also with them some physicall properties.
We haue for the vse of physicke, both Iuyce and Syrupe, both Conserue and Condite, both binding and loosening medicines, both inward and outward, and all made of Quinces.
The Ielly or Muccilage of the seedes, is often vsed to be laid vpon womens breasts, to heale them being sore or rawe, by their childrens default giuing them sucke.
Athenæus reciteth in his third booke, that one Philarchus found, that the smell of Quinces tooke away the strength of a certaine poison, called Phariacum. And the Spaniards haue also found, that the strength of the iuyce of white Ellebor (which the Hunters vse as a poyson to dippe their arrow heads in, that they shoote at wilde beasts to kill them) is quite taken away, if it stand within the compasse of the smell of Quinces. And also that Grapes, being hung vp to bee kept, and spent in Winter, doe quickly rot with the smell of a Quince.