qua Vite is comonly called the mastresse of al medycynes, for it easeth the dysseases comynge of colde. Et gyveth also yonge corage in a person, and cawseth hym to have a good memorye and remembraunce. Et puryfpeth the fybe wittes of melancolye and of all unclenes whan it is dronke by reason and measure. That is to understande fybe or syr droppes in the mornonge fastong with a sponefull of wyne, usynge the same in the maner aforsayde the ebyl humours can not hurte the body, for it withdrybeth them oute of the baynes.

Et conforteth the harte, and causeth a body to be mery.

Et heleth all olde and newe sores on the hede comynge of colde, whan the hede is enoynted therwyth and a lytell of the same water holden in the mouthe, and dronke of the same.

¶ Et cawseth a good colour in a parson whan it is dronke and the hede enoynted the twyththe space of rr dayes; it heleth Alopícia, or whan it is dronke fastyng with a lytell trgacle. Et causeth the here well to growe, and kylleth the lyce and flees.

Et cureth the Reuma of the hede, whan the temples and the fore hede therwith be rubbed.

Et cureth Litargiam,2 and all gll humours of the hede.

Etheleth the coloure in the face, and all maner of pymples. Et heleth the fystule when it is put therein with the Juce of Celen. dyne.

¶ Cotton wet in the same and a lytell wronge out agagn and so put in the cares at nyght goynge to bedde, and a lytell dronke thereof, is good against all defnes.

Et easeth the payn in the teethe, when it is a longe tyme holden in the mouthe, it causdth a swete brethe, and heleth the rottyng tethe.

Et heleth the canker in the mouthe, in the teethe, in the lyppes, and in the tongue, whan it is longe time holden in the mouthe. Et causeth the hevy togue to become light and wel spekyng.

1 "The Vertuose boke of Distyllacyon of the Waters of all maner of Herbes, with the fygures of the styllatoryes, Fyrst made and compyled by the thyrte yeres study and labour of the most conynge and famous master of phisyke, Master Iherom bruynswyke. And now newly Translated out of Duyche into Englysshe," etc. Lond., 1572. 2 Lethargy.

It heleth the shorte brethe whan it is droke with water where as the figes be soden in, and vanisheth al femmes.

Et causeth good dygestynge and appetyte for to eat, and taketh away all bolkinge.1

Et drybeth the wyndes out of the body, and is good agaynst the ebull stomake.

Et caseth the favntenes of the harte, the payn of the mylte, the gelowe Jandis, the dropsy, the yll lymmes, the geute, in the hands and in the fete, the payne in the brestes whan they be swollen, and heleth al diseases in the bladder, and breaketh the stone.

Et withdrybeth venym that hath been taken in meat or in brynke, wha a lytell tryacle is put therto.

Etheleth the flanckes 2 and all dyseases coming of colde.

Et heleth the brennyng of the body, and of al membres whan it is rubbed therwith by the fore viii dayes contynnynge.

Et is good to be dronke agaynst the sodeyn dede.

Etheleth all scabbes of the body, and all colde swellynges, enounted or washed therwith, and also a lytell therof dronke.

It heleth all shronke sinewes, and causeth them to become softe and right.

Et heleth the febres tertiana and quartana, when it is dronke an heure before, or the febres becometh on a body.

It heleth the vegmous bytes, and also of a madde dogge, than they be wasshed therwith.

It heleth all stonkyng woundes whan they be wasshev therwith."

From use in medicine, Aqua Vitæ soon came into domestic use, and here it given one of Therom Bruynswyke's "Styllatoryes," which he says was the "comon fornays" which was "well beknowen amonge the potters, made of erthe leded or glased, and it may be removed from the one place to the other."

It was in a still of this sort that the old housewives of the sixteenth and succeeding centuries used to concoct their strong and cordial waters-a practice

which has given, and left to, our own times, the name of "Still-room," as the housekeeper's own particular domain. They experimented on almost every herb

that grew, and some of their concoctions must have been exceedingly nasty. Yet some of their recipes read as if they were comforting, and they were not deficient in variety.

Heywood, in his Philocothonista, or The Drunkard, Opened, Dissected, and Anatomized, 1635, p. 48, mentions some of them. "To add to these chiefe and multiplicitie of wines before named, yet there be Stills and Limbecks going, swetting out Aqua Vita and strong waters deriving their names from Cynamon, Lemmons, Balme, Angelica, Aurseed, Stomach Water, Hunni, etc. And to fill up the number, we have plenty of Vsque-ba’ha.”

The old housewives' books of the latter end of the sixteenth century, until much later, are still in existence, and from them we may learn many drinks of our forefathers, how to make Ipocras (very good, especially when taken in a "Loving Cup"), to clarify Whey, to make Buttered Beer, Sirrop of Roses or Violets, Rosa Solis, a Caudle for an old Man, or to distil Spirits of Spices, Spirits of Wine tasting of what Vegetable you please, Balme Water, Rosemary Water, Sinamon Water, Aqua Rubea, Spirits of Hony, Rose Water, Vinegar, very many scents, and a distillation called Aqua Composita, which entered into many receipts. There are many formulæ for this, but Bruynswyke gives the following:

“AQUA VITE COMPOSITA.

"The same water is made some time of wyne with spaces onely, sometyme with wyne and rotes of the herbes, sametyme with the herbes, some tyme withthe rotes and herdes togyder, for at ad tymes thereto must be strange wyne.

"Take a gallon of strong Gascoigne wine, and Sage, Mints, Red Roses, Time, Pellitorie, Rosemarie, Wild Thime, Camomil, Lavender, of eche an handfull. These herbes shal be stamped all toguder in a Morter, and then putte it in a clene vessell and do herto a ponte of Rose Water, and a quart of romney,' and then stoppe it close and let it stand so iii or iiii dayes. Whan ge have so done, put all this togyder in a styllatory and dystyll water of the same; than take your dystylled water, and pore it upon the herbes agavne into the styllatory, and strewe upon it these powders followynge.

2

Fyrst cloves and cynamon, of eche an halfe ounce, Oryous an ounce, and a few Maces, nutmeggs halfe an ounce, a lytell saffran, muscus, spica nardi, ambre, and some put campher in it, bycawse the materyals be so hote. Stere 3 all the same well togoder and dystylle it clene of, tyll it come fat lyke ople, than set awaye your water, and let it be wel kepte. After that make a stronge fyre, and dystyll oyle of it, and receyve it in a fyole, this oyle smelleth above all oyles, and he that letteth one droppe fall on his hande, it will perce through. Et is wonderfull good, excellynge many other soberaygne oples to dyvers dysseases."

Although the Still-room was serviceable for medicinal purposes, yet, as we have seen, there were many comforting drinks made, including Vsquebath, or Irish aqua vita (a recipe for which we will give in its proper place), and doubtless this contributed much towards the tippling habit of some ladies in the 17th and 18th centuries. We hear somewhat of this in the reign of good Queen Anne (who, by the bye, was irreverently termed "Brandy-faced Nan "), when they used to make, and drink, Ratifia of Apricocks, Fenouillette of Rhé, Millefleurs, Orangiat, Burgamot, Pesicot, and Citron Water, etc., etc., numerous allusions to which are made in the pages of "The Spectator,” and other literature of the times. Edward Ward, who had

A Spanish Wine.

2 ? Orrice.

8 Stir.

4 Phial.