Take single pinks and take ye leaves out of ye husks and cut ym somewhat Long leaving some of ye white to ye leaves then put them into a flat glass wherein you have mingled half a spoonfull of Aquafortis with 12 spoonfulls of water and when the leaves have layne in the water half an hour or more take them out one by one and lay them on a paper ye right side down not to touch one another and after an hour or 2 when the water is well dryed up (as it will if the paper be laide on a woollen cloth) then strow them over with fine dry sand till they be all cover’d so let them lye a fortnight in a place where the sun comes in, in which time they will be dry and stiff then take them off the fire one by one shaking off the sand and wipe them between your fingers lay them in boxes till the winter each colour by themselves and then bind them up together by the white part of the leafe that remains till they be of what bigness you please and so put them into the green husk which must be kept for them, pickt early in the year they will keep the better takeing the natural flowers out of them, rowle a little piece of paper up and fill the husk with it lay them also in sand till they be dry use no water to them when you put your flowers into the husk fasten them with a private stick by ye green silk you bind them up withall with a fine needle at the bottom of the husk. So many severall colours as you have must be put in severall glasses of water or the colours will not be perfect, Rose buds are only laid in water 2 or 3 hours and laid out on a woolen cloth to dry without sand, for marygolds, primroses, or larke heels or the like are only in sand without water. Experience must be ye best Mrs to teach this art.
208. An Aprov’d Diet Drink to be taken every Spring and Fall from the First of September to the 1st of October & from ye 1st of April to the Last.
Take 4 gallons of the strongest wort boyle it to 3 gallons tun it up with good store of barm that it may work well then make a Canvase bag with a heazel stick thrust through it and so fasten the bag to the stick that it may not go within 3 inches of the bottom of the barrell nor float on the top put these following ingredients into the bag 6 ounces of scena 6 ounces of polipodium of the oake 7 ounces of bayberrys huld 2 ounces of anyseeds 3 ounces of aishen keys bruised 2 ounces of sarsafrage wood, 2 ounces of saldonella, 2 drams of rubarb, let all these be grossly powdered except the scena, and when it hath done workeing stop it up close leaving some barm on the top in 3 or 4 days you may drink of it half a pint in the morning and 3 quarters of a pint in the evening, drink a draught of brothe an hour before dinner & when you go to bed keep yourselfe warme dureing the time ye more you exercise your body ye more twill work. Probatum est.
209. For Proud Flesh.
Take half a pound of Sheeps Sewit finely shred and melt it then strain it and put half a pound of rozin finely beaten when the rozin is melted put in 3 penny worth of turpentine and boyle it a little together Keep stiring it; then pour it into cold water and keep beating of it (changeing ye water) till tis white.
210. To dry a Hamm the best Way.
Lay your ham before a Good fire turning it sometimes till it is very hot then pound 2 penny worth of Salt peeter very small & rub on it & cover it over and under with half a peck of bay salt which has been heat very hot in a frying pan till it has almost done snappering & pour it hot on the ham when the ham is hot let it Lye in the saltpeeter a fortnight yn smoke it.
211. To wash Poynt or any Sort of Lace.
MAKE you a board of well seasoned Dry Deale, of 3 boards in bredth well Poynted, and as long as anything you desine to wash on it naile or brace on a flaxen Cloth very tight sew your poynt and lace by the purl and footing very streight on the cloth, then sew or pin very streight over it a thin canvas or bolter cloth, Soap it all over & pounce it wth a brush and warme water (but gently) till your Ladders come clean yn rince it well and starch it (with white starch of a thickness just to Jelly when it is cold) with a spunge but leave not much on it you must dry it quick (if you cannot abroad) by the fire for fear the board should stain when it is very dry pull off your upper cloth hastily to raise a nap on it, then rip it off. Grey lace must be stiffned with Iceingglass which has been asoke over night & boyle thin.