The Good Huswifes Jewell

Water imperiall.
haue the water, and put the hearbs in it, and let them boyle in a pottle, and then strain the hearbes through a strainer, and take the liquor and set it ouer the fire againe, take a pinte of English honye, a good handfull of Rock Allam, as much of white Copperas, Time beaten, a penniworth of grains brused, and let them boyle all together three or foure wawmes, and then let the skumme be taken off with a feather, and when it is cold, put it in an earthen pot or bottle, so as it may be kept close, and for a greene wound take of the thinnest, and for an olde wound of the thickest, couer the soare rather with Veale or Mutton, skimme them with dock leaues, when that you haue dressed them with this wates.

 

To make water imperiall an other way.
Take a handfull of Dragon, of Scabious of Endiue, a handfull of Pimpernell, a handfull of Wormewood, of Rew, of Tansie, of Fetherfoye, of Dasie leaues, of couslips, of maiden haire, of sinkfoyle, of Dandelion, of Time, of Bawme, of each of these hearbes a handfull, of Treakle a pound, of Bole armoniacke four ounces, and when you haue all these hearbes toghether, you must take and shread them a little, not too small, then take the Treakle, and the Bole armoniacke, and mingle them and the hearbes together, then put them in a stillatory, and styll them: & fier.

 

To make Sinamon water.
Take Rennish wine a quart, or Spanish wine a pint, rose water a pint and a half, Sinamon brused a pound and a halfe, let these stand infused the space of foure and twentye houres, then distill it, and being close stopped and luted, then with a soft fire distill the same softly in a Limbeck of glasse and receiue the first water by it selfe.

Also if ye be so disposed to make the same water weaker, take three pints of Rose-water, and a pinte and a halfe of Rennish wine, and so fistill the same, and you shall haue to the qualitye of stuffe, the quantity of the water, which is three pints, but the first is best, and so reserue it to your vse both morning and euening.

 

To make Sinamon water another way.
Take three quartes of Muskadine, and a pound of Sinamon, and halfe a pinte of good rosewater, and so let them lye infused the space of foure and twentye howers, and destill it as aforesaide, and you shall receiue to the quantitye as to the qualitye, but the firste pinte is the best and the cheefest of all the other, as is manifest by practise.

 

To make Aqua composita for a surfet.
Take Rosemarye, Fennell, Isope, Time, Sage, Horehound, of each of these a handfull, Pennirial, red mints Margerum, of each sixe crops, a roote of Enula Campana, of Licoras, Annyseeds brused of each two ounces, put all these to three gallons of mightie strong Ale, and put it into a brasse pot ouer an easie fire, and set the Limbecke vpon it, and stop it close with dowe or paste, that no aire doe goe out, and so keepe it stilling with a softe fire, and so preserue it to your vse as need requireth.

 

To make the water of life.
Take Balme leaues and stalkes, burnet leaues and flowers, a handfull of Rosemary, Turmentill leaues and rootes, Rosa folis a handfull, red roses a handfull, Carnations a handfull, Isop a handfull, a handfull of Time, red strings that grow vpon Sauery a handfull, red Fennell leaues and rootes a handfull, red Mints a handfull, put all these hearbes into a pot of earth glased, and put therto as much white wine as will couerthe hearbes, and let them soake therein eight or nine dayes, then take an ounce of Sinamon, as much of Ginger, as much of Nutmegs, Cloues and Saffron, a little quantitye, of Annyseedes a pound, great Raisons a pound, Suger a pound, halfe a pound of Dates, the hinder part of an olde Cony, a good fleshye running Capon, the flesh and sinewes of a legge of mutton foure yong Pigions, a dosen of Larks, the yolkes of twelue egges, a loafe of white bread cut in sippettes, Muskadell, or Bastard three gallons,

or as much in quantitie as suffiseth to distil all these together at once in a Limbecke and thereto put of Methridatum two or three ounces, or else with as much perfect Treakell, and distill it with a moderate fire, and keepe the first water my it selfe, and the second water alone also, & when there commeth no more water with strings, take away the limbecke, & put into the pot more wine vpon the same stuffe, and styll it againe, and you shal haue an other good water, and shall so remaine good. In the first ingredience of this water, you must keepe a double glasse warely, for it is restoratiue of all principall members,

and defendeth against all pestilentiall diseases, as against the Paulsie, Dropsie, Spleene, Yellowe or blacke Jaundice, for wormes in the bellye, and for all agues be they hot or cold, and all maner of swellings, and pestilentiall sorowes in man, as melancholy, & flegmaticke and it strengtheneth and comforteth all the spirits and strings of the braine, as the heart, the milte, the liuer, and the stomacke, by taking thereof two or three spoonefulles at one time by it selfe, or with ale, Wine or Beere, and by putting a prittie quantitye of Suger therein, also it helpeth disgestion, and doth breake winde, and stoppeth laske, and bindeth not, and it mightelye helpeth and easeth Man or Woman of the paine of the heart burning, and for to quicken the memory of man, and take of this water three spoonefuls a daye, in the morning, and another after he goeth to dinner, and the third last at night.

 

To make a good plaister for the Strangurie.
Take Hollyhocks, and violets, and Mercurye, the leaues of these hearbes, or the seedes of them, also the rinde of the Elderne tree, and also leyd Wort, of heach of these a handfull, and beate them small, and seeth them in water, till halfe be consumed, then doe thereto a little oyle Oliue, and all hot make thereof a plaister, and laye it to the fore and raines, and also in Summer thou must make him a drinke in this manner: take Sapifrage, and the leaues of Elderne Fiue leaued grasse, and seeth them in a pottle of stale ale, till the halfe be wasted, and then straine it and keepe it cleane, and let the sicke drinke thereof first and last, and if you lacke these hearbes because of Winter, then take the rootes of fiue leaued grasse, and drye them, and make thereof powder, and then take Oyster shelles and burne them, and make powder of them, and mingle them together, and so let the sicke vse thereof in his Pottage and drinke, and it shall helpe him.

 

To make a powder for the Stone and Stranguillian.
Take blacke Bramble berries while they be redde, Iuye berries, the inner pitch of the Ashe Keyes, the stones of the Eglantine Berryes clouen, rubbed from the hayre, Nutte keyes, the rootes of Pilopendula, of all these a like quantitye, Accorne kernelles, the stones of Slowes, of each a like quantitye, drye all these on platters in an ouen till they will be beaten to pouder, then take Gromell seede, Saxifrage seede, Alisander seede, coliander seede, parsely seede, comin seede, fennell seed, anniseede, of ech of these a like quantitye, as much as is before written, and dried in like sort, then beate all these to fine powder, and take Licoras of the best that you can get, faire scraped, as much in quantity as of al the other, and beat it fine, & mingle it with the same pouder, and so keepe it close that no winde come at it, vsing it first and last with posset drink made with white wine or ale, and when you eate your pottage or other broth, put some in it if you be sore pained, & if you haue any stone, it will come away by shiuers, and if it do so, when you thinke that your water beginneth to cleare againe, take this drink that followeth, and it will cleanse your bladder, and it will leaue no coruption therin.

 

The drinke.
Take Rosemary, with Tyme, and seeth them in running water, with as much Suger as will make it sweete from a quart to a pinte, vse the quantitye of your hearbes according to your discretion, so that it may sauour well of the hearbes, and so vse it 9. mornings, 6. or 7. spoonfulles at a time.

 

For the shingles a remedie.
Take Doues dirte that is moystye, and of Barly meale heaped halfe a pound, and stamp them well together, and do therto halfe a pinte of vineger, and meddle them together, and so laye it to the sore colde, laye wall leaues thereupon, and so let it lye three dayes vnremoued, and on the third day if neede require, laye thereto a new plaister of the same, and at the most he shalbe whole within three plaisters.

 

For all maner of sinewes that are shortened.
Take the head of a blacke sheepe, Cammemill, Sorell leaues, Sage, of each handfull, and bray these hearbs in a morter, then boyle them altogether in water, till they be well sodden, and let them stand till that they be colde, then drawe it through a strainer, and so vse it.

 

A sufferaine ointment for shrunken sinewes and aches.
Take eight Swallowes ready to flye out of the nest, driue away the breeders when you take them out, and let them not touch the earth, stampe them vntill the feathers cannot be perceiued put to it lauender cotten, of the stringes of strawberies, the tops of mother time, the toppes of Rosemarye, of eache a handfull, take all their weight of May butter, and a quarte more, stampe all the Fethers that nothing can be perceiued, in a stone morter, then make it vp in bales, and put it into an Earthen potte for eight dayes close stopped that no ayre take them, take it out, and on as softe fire as may bee seethe it, so that it do but simper, then strain it, and so reserue it to your vse.

 

For sinewes that be broken in two.
Take Wormes while they be knite, and looke that they departe not, and stamp them, and laye it to the sore, and it will knit the sinewes that be broken in two.