It so much forceth to vnderstande and know, what maner of foode the same is, with the which the Bées do liue, as the poysoned hony also, that may be gathered by them, whether it be euill or venomous. For the Honny of Heraclea in the Countrey of Pontus, hath bin for certaine yeares, very dangerous, especially throughe a certaine hearbe growing white, whiche also vexeth their cattell by eating thereof, named of the dwellers there, Aegellothron. But by these notes is that Honnye founde out and tried to be venomous, as firste, that the same is not thicke at all, the colour brighter or more glistering, and hath a strong sauour, mouing forthwith often snéesing, and is also waightier. Also such persons, as taste somewhat thereof, doe couet to lie or fall hastily on the earth, séeking for coldenesse, and be all on a sweate, so that in sodaine daungers, muste some spéedy helpes or remedies be ministred, like as the olde Mulse of the best hony, and herb Grace, or other like confections, be often ministred to suche persons. There is also another kind of venomous hony, in the border of the country of Pontus, that for the madnesse which it engendereth, is named of the people Neonomenon: the same hony is supposed to be gathered of the floure Rhododendros, whiche groweth plentie there in the wooddes. Plinie writeth of a maruellous honny to be in Creta, for that in Carina being a hill of that Countrey, he affirmeth a honny to be gathered, whiche the flies will not touch, and supposed also to be a singular Honny, for the composition of euery medicine.
¶ Of the miraculous worthiness of Honny. Cap.xxvij.
Most men in Italy prepare and make their medicines which they purpose to kéepe long, with honny, so that honny preserueth euery thing from putrifying, which you would haue in safety, and to continue for a season, through his clamminesse. And of this, auntient men did enbalme bodyes of the deade, which they would haue preserued, and to continue sound without corrupting many yeres, with hony only, and the same they also smeared within the tombes or sepulchres of the deade, for the longer kéeping of bodyes. The self same writeth the learned Papinius of the body of Alexander, which was likewise embaulmed with Hony. And not vnlike to this writeth Plinie, in the xxij. booke, and xxiiij. Chapter of his Histories, of sundrye dead bodyes also embaulmed with hony. Which in another place also of his Histories writeth by Claudius Cæsar, that brought a monster out of Egipt into his countrey, whiche was also embaulmed with Honny. Ahanæus also writeth, that bodies subiect to sickenesses, maye both be kept frée from sicknesses, and from corrupting a long time, through the often smearing and annoynting of Honny ouer all the bodie. As the like wryters report, that the Isle of Corsica, or Corse do, whiche liue a long time.
The Macrobians being a people in Affricke, named also Mœrein, doe liue a long time, as certaine authours write, bycause with the meate of Honny, whyche is plentie with them, they dayly be fed, and vse continually. Some affirme that Democritus which recreated by Honny, with the only breath and sauour of the Honnye made hote, liued (as they write) vnto a hundred nine yeares. Aristoxenus writeth, that the table of Pythagoras was dayly furnished with only breade and honny, and yet liued vnto the fourescore and ten yeres of the Philosopher Heraclides. The Honnye also is founde to auayle against surfettes, and of this accompted amongst the medicines putting awaye drunkennesse. And of this it is no maruel, that suche throughlye skilfull in Phisicke, when anye be ouercloyed or filled with Wine, do counsell firste to emptie their stomackes by vomityng, and after against the force of the fume euaporating of the remnaunt of the Wine yet remayning, they giue to them Honny spreade on breade, as it were by putting backe the euill, that is maye so remedie and putte awaye the grosse fume.
¶ How profitable the vse of Honny is in medicines. Cap.xxviij.
Firste the white Honye is to be vsed in cooling Medicines, but the yealowe in heating medicines: also the nature and propertie of honny, is to clense and open, and to expel humors. Therefore it is profitably applyed in filthy vlcers, being boyled and annoynted vpon. It closeth also loose and gaping fleshe, through his wholenesse. Also with Liquid Alume & honny sodden togither, are Ringwormes, and cornes or swelling of the féete healed, by annoynting therewith. Against the vncertaine soundings and noyse of the eares, and grieuous pains of them, the hony grounded with that salte digged out of the earth, and dropped warme into the eares: the selfe same killeth both nits and lyce, by only annointing the heade therwith. Also the hony purgeth the eyes dimme of sight, healeth the swellings, and other defaultes and griefes of the iawes, the swellings and kernels vnder the iawes, neare to the throte, after the preparing to vse, the same be gargelled in the throate, and the mouth washed therewith. The honie eaten causeth vryne, helpeth the cough (being cleane skimmed before) and the byte of a Snake or Adder. The hony also helpeth those which haue drunke vnwares the iuyce of blacke Poppie, so that againste the same euill and daunger they drinke rosed honny warme. Also the same drunke helpeth the malice and daunger of Mushromes eaten, and the byte of a madde dogge, or otherwise melting in the mouth, after the forme of an Eclegma. Yet all the sortes of rawe Honny be windie and swell the bodie, mouing a rumbling or noyse in the belly, procuring the cough, easily conuerted into euil humors, stopping the liuer and the milt through the clamminesse, and hurtfull to chollericke bodies, if so be the honny before (as Dioscorides writeth) be not throughly skimmed and clensed as the same ought to be. The honny also boyled both better nourishe than the rawe, yet lesse mouing the belly to solublenesse, and to the stoole. And the honny of it selfe, or mixed with others, helpeth the sore in the lungs, and all other diseases of the lungs. The honny is rightly ministered to such as haue the impostume in the lungs and the pluresie. And the hony in which dead Bées are, is applyed to the venemous honny. The hony drunke with wine helpeth the corruptions which are engendered of the meate fishes. But to colde and moyste bodies the honny is more profitable, therfore verie fitte for olde persons, as Galen affirmeth. And to persons being twentie yeares of age, and of an vntemperate hotenesse, or others hote of qualitie, the honny to them is hurtefull, bycause it is soone conuerted into choller in them. Democritus was on a time asked, by what meanes men might both continue in perfite health, and liue vnto very old yeares, to which he thus answered: if so be men annoint their bodies outwarde with Oyle, and apply their bodies inwarde with honny. Further honny profiteth weake persons, being applyed as the Mulse water, of which shal after be taught in the next chapter. To persons cold of nature, the honie may aptly be ministred in hote broth, but to hote persons ministred in warme brothe, the honie is not rightly giuen. The honny mixed with Camphora, & lying to settle thrée dayes before, with the which annointing the face, doth spéedily clense the spots in the face: the self same doth the honie, mixed with the gall of an Oxe. The pure white honie clenseth the breast, softneth Impostumes, being as well without, as within the bodie. The hony also mundifyeth, openeth the stoppings of the Liuer and Mylte, helpeth dropsie bodies, and strengthneth weake members. The Aromaticke honny much auayleth in sundrie diseases, being thus prepared, as the pure redde Rose leaues finely clipped, and after boyled in pure white honnie, being often and diligentlye skymmed. For such a Honnye doeth comforte and mundifye, dissolueth in the clensing the clammy swellings, digesteth the fleumaticke and grosse humors, and drunke also with colde water, it bindeth the bellie, but ministred with warm water it looseth the bellie.
¶ Of the drinke of Honny which they cal the Mulse water, or sweete water of the Romaines. Cap.xxix.
By the aunswere of Pollio the Romaine vnto Augustus Emperour, we may euidently learn, that the Mulse made of hony, is healthfull drinke in strengthning the bodie. For Augustus on a time demaunded of him by what meanes a man might liue to great yeares, and all that season frée from sickenesses, to whome he thus aunswered, that applying the Mulse water within, and annoynting Oyle without the bodye, doeth worke the like. The Mulse truly is a drinke made of water and hony mixed togither, which the Gréeks properly name Melicrate, & some Hydromel, as the drinke made with wine vnlayde, or without water, and hony, they aptly name Oenomel. Now the Mulse water drunke, doeth ease the passage of winde or breath, softneth the belly, and the long time of oldenesse changeth it into the kinde of Wine, moste agréeable and profyting the Stomacke: but the same contrary to the Synowes, yet it recouereth the appetite lost, and is a defence against the dangerous drinke of Henbane, if it be ministred with Asses milke. Thys drinke truely (Aegineta wryting therof) is thus made: let eight times so muche water be mixed vnto your Honnye prepared, whyche boyle or séeth so long, vntill no more fome aryseth to be skymmed off, then taking it from the fyre, preserue it to youre vse. But the same Paule Aegineta affyrmeth, that the Mulse profyteth nothing in manner the collericke, bycause the same in them is lightly conuerted into choller.
¶ Of the drinke Oenomel, which is made of pure wyne and Hony. Cap.xxx.
The Oenomel, which is a swéete wine made with Honny, Aegineta teacheth the same, not only for the preseruation of helth, but also to expel the torment of sicknesses, through this most wholesome drinke, as that whiche giueth, not onely strength of body and courage, but the long race of yeares. Also it expelleth an olde griefe of the Reines, being often drunke with Parcely séedes. But the beste Oenomell is that which is made of olde and tarte wine, and the beste purified hony, for the same doth lesse swell. The same also harmeth drunke after meales, but before taken, doeth procure an appetite. Dioscorides teacheth that maner of making the Oenomell in this order: first he willeth to take one gallon and a quarte of Wine, and mixing it with halfe a gallon, and a pinte of the beste hony, to prepare the same orderly. But some prepare or make the drinke spéedilier to vse after this manner, as the hony they boyle with Wine, and after poure foorth the same into other vesselles.