The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened Part 5

For in that you boil the herbs but a quarter of an hour, that the colour may be pale: But in this, where the deepness of the colour is not regarded, you boil them a good hour, that you may get all the vertue out of them.

Next for the strength of it; whereas in that, an Egge is to emerge out of the Liquor but the breadth of a three pence; in This it is to emerge a large Groats-breadth. Then in this you take but half a pound of Ginger, and one ounce of Cloves. Whereas the white hath one pound of Ginger, and two ounces of Cloves. To this you use three quarts, or rather more of Ale-yest (fresh and new) and when all your Liquor is in a high slender tall pipe with the narrowest circ.u.mference that may be (which makes it work better then a broad one, where the Spirits loose themselves) you have the yest in a large Noggin with a handle, or pail, and put some of the Liquor to it, and make that work; then pour it from pretty high unto the whole quant.i.ty in the pipe, and lade it strongly with that Noggin five or six, or eight times, pouring it every time from high, and working it well together, that so every Atome of the yest maybe mingled with every Atome of the Liquor. And this course (in this particular) you may also use in the white.

It is best not to broach this, till a year be over after the making it.

TO MAKE GOOD METHEGLIN

Take to every Gallon of Honey, three Gallons of water, and put them both together, and set them over so soft a fire, that you may endure to melt and break the honey with your hands. When the honey is all melted, put in an Egge, and let it fall gently to the bottome, and if the Egge rise up to the top again of the Liquor, then is it strong enough of the honey; but if it lie at the bottome, you must put in more honey, stirring of it till it do rise. If your honey be very good, it will bear half a Gallon of water more to a Gallon of Honey. Then take Sweet-bryar, Rose-mary, Bayes, Thyme, Marjoram, Savory, of each a good handful, which must be tyed up all together in a bundle. This Proportion of herbs will be sufficient for 12 Gallons of Metheglin; and according to the quant.i.ty you make of Metheglin, you must add of your herbs or take away. When you have put these things together set it upon a quick fire, and let it boil as fast as you can for half an hour, or better, skiming of it very clean, which you must Clarifie with two or three whites of Eggs. Then take it off from the fire, and put it presently into some clean covers, and let it stand till the next morning; then pour the clear from the bottom and tun it up; putting in a little bag of such spice as you like, whereof Ginger must be the most.

After it hath stood some three or four days, you may put in some two or three spoonfuls of good-ale-yest; it will make it ready the sooner to drink, if you let it work together, before you stop it up.

The older the honey is, the whiter coloured the Metheglin will be.

TO MAKE WHITE METHEGLIN OF SIR JOHN FORTESCUE

Take twelve Gallons of water, one handful of each of these herbs, Eglantine, Rosemary, Parsley, Strawberry-leaves, Wild-thyme, Balm, Liver-wort, Betony, Scabious; when your water begins to boil, cast in your herbs, and let them boil a quarter of an hour. Then strain it from the herbs. When it is almost cold, then put in as much of the best honey, as will make it bear an Egge, to the breadth of two pence; and stir it till all the honey be melted. Then boil it well half an hour at the least, and put into it the whites of six Eggs beaten to a froth to clarifie it; and when it hath drawn all the sc.u.m to the top, strain it into woodden vessels.

When it is almost cold, put barm to it, and when it worketh well, Tun it into a well-seasoned vessel, where neither Ale nor Beer hath been, for marring the colour; and when it hath done working, take a good quant.i.ty of Nutmegs, Mace, Cinnamon, Cloves and Ginger bruised, and put it into a boulter bag, and hang it in the barrel.

If you will have it taste much of the spice, let it boil 3 or 4 walms in it, after you have put in the honey. But that will make it have a deep colour.

A RECEIPT FOR MEATHE

To seven quarts of water, take two quarts of honey, and mix it well together; then set it on the fire to boil, and take three or four Parsley-roots, and as many Fennel-roots, and shave them clean, and slice them, and put them into the Liquor, and boil altogether, and skim it very well all the while it is a boyling; and when there will no more sc.u.m rise, then is it boiled enough: but be careful that none of the sc.u.m do boil into it. Then take it off, and let it cool till the next day. Then put it up in a close vessel, and put thereto half a pint of new good barm, and a very few Cloves pounded and put in a Linnen-cloth, and tie it in the vessel, and stop it up close; and within a fortnight, it will be ready to drink: but if it stay longer, it will be the better.

MY LORD GORGE HIS MEATHE

Take a sufficient quant.i.ty of Rain-water, and boil in it the tops of Rose-mary, Eglantine, Betony, Strawberry-leaves, Wall-flowers, Borage and Bugloss, of each one handful; one sprig of Bays; and two or three of Sage.

Then take it off the fire, and put a whole raw Egge into it, and pour so much honey to it, till the Egge rise up to the top; then boil it again, skiming it very well, and so let it cool. Then Tun it up, and put Barm to it, that it may ferment well. Then stop it up, and hang in it such spices, as you like best. It will not be right to drink under three or four moneths.

THE LADY VERNON'S WHITE METHEGLIN

Take three Gallons of water (rain water is best) boil in it broad Thyme, Rose-mary, Peny-royal, of each three handfuls. Then put it into a stone Pan to cool, and strain away the herbs; and when it is cold, put in one quart of honey, and mix it very well; then put to it one Nutmeg, a little Cinnamon; Cloves and Ginger; some Orange and Limon-peels. Then boil and sc.u.m it very well, while any sc.u.m will rise. Then put in your spices, and try with a New-laid-egg; and the stronger it is, the longer you may keep it; and if you will drink it presently, put it up in bottles, and rub the Corks with yest, that it may touch it, and it will be ready in three or four days to drink. And if you make it in the spring put no spices, but Cloves and Cinnamon, and add Violets, Cowslips, Marigolds, and Gilly-flowers; and be sure to stop your vessel close with Cork; and to this put no yest, for the Clove-gilly-flowers will set it to work.

SEVERAL SORTS OF MEATH, SMALL AND STRONG

1. SMALL. Take ten Gallons of water, and five quarts of honey, with a little Rosemary, more Sweet-bryar, some Balme, Burnet, Cloves, less Ginger, Limon Peel. Tun it with a little barm; let it remain a week in the barrel with a bag of Elder-flowers; then bottle it.

2. _Small_. Take ten quarts of water, and one of honey, Balm a little; Minth, Cloves, Limon-peel, Elder-flowers, a little Ginger; wrought with a little yest, bottle it after a night working.

3. _Strong_. Take ten Gallons of water; thirteen quarts of honey, with Angelica, Borrage and Bugloss, Rosemary, Balm and Sweet-bryar; pour it into a barrel, upon three spoonfuls of yest; hang in a bag Cloves, Elder-flowers, and a little Ginger.

4. _Very Strong_. Take ten Gallons of Water, and four of honey, with Sea-worm-wood, a little Sage, Rosemary; put it in a barrel, after three days cooling. Put no yest to it. Stop it close, and bottle it after three or four months.

5. _Very Strong_. To ten Gallons of water take four of honey. Clarifie it with flower; and put into it Angelica, Rosemary, Bay-leaves, Balm. Barrel it without yest. Hang in a bag Cloves, Elder-flowers, a little Ginger.

6. _Very Strong_. Take ten Gallons of water, and four of Honey. Boil nothing in it. Barrel it when cold, without yest. Hang in it a bag with Cloves, Elder-flowers, a little Ginger and Limon peel; which throw away, when it hath done working, and stop it close. You may make also strong and small by putting into it Orris-roots; or with Rose-mary, Betony, Eye-bright and Wood-sorrel; or adding to it the tops of Hypericon with the flowers of it; Sweet-bryar, Lilly of the valley.

TO MAKE MEATH

Take three Gallons of water, a quart of Honey; if it be not strong enough, you may adde more. Boil it apace an hour, and sc.u.m it very clean. Then take it off, and set it a working at such heat as you set Beer, with good yest.

Then put it in a Runlet, and at three days end, draw it out in stone-bottles; into everyone put a piece of Limon-peel and two Cloves. It is only put into the Runlet, whilest it worketh, to avoid the breaking of the Bottles.

SIR JOHN ARUNDEL'S WHITE MEATH

Take three Gallons of Honey, and twelve Gallons of water: mix the honey and water very well together, till the honey is dissolved; so let it stand twelve hours. Then put in a New-laid-egg; if the Liquor beareth the Egg, that you see the breadth of a groat upon the Egg dry, you may set it over the fire: if it doth not bear the Egg, then you must adde a quart or three pints more to the rest; and then set it over the fire, and let it boil gently, till you have skimed it very clean, and clarified it, as you would do Suggar, with the whites of three New-laid-eggs. When it is thus made clear from all sc.u.m, let it boil a full hour or more, till the fourth part of it is wasted; then take it off the fire; and let it stand till the next day. Then put it into a vessel. When it hath been in the barrel five or six days, make a white tost, and dip it into new yeast, and put the tost into the barrel, and let it work. When it hath done working, stop it up very close. This keep three quarters of a year. You may drink it within half a year, if you please. You may adde in the boiling, of what herbs you like the taste, or what is Physical.

TO MAKE METHEGLIN

Take eight Gallons of water, and set it over a clear fire in a Kettle; and when it is warm, put into it sixteen pounds of very good honey; stir it well together, till it be all mixed; and when it boileth, take off the sc.u.m, and put in two large Nutmegs cut into quarters, and so let it boil at least an hour. Then take it off, and put into it two good handfuls of grinded Malt, and with a white staff keep beating it together, till it be almost cold; then strain it through a hair sieve into a tub, and put to it a wine pint of Ale-yest, and stir it very well together; and when it is cold, you may, if you please, Tun it up presently in a vessel fit for it, or else let it stand, and work a day: And when it hath done working in your vessel, stop it up very close. It will be three weeks or a month, before it will be ready to drink.

TO MAKE WHITE MEATH

Take six Gallons of water, and put in six quarts of honey, stirring it till the honey be throughly melted; then set it over the fire, and when it is ready to boil, skim it very clean. Then put in a quarter of ounce of Mace, so much Ginger, half an ounce of Nutmegs, Sweet-marjoram, Broad-thyme, and Sweet-bryar, of altogether a handful; and boil them well therein; Then set it by, till it be through cold, and then Barrel it up, and keep it till it be ripe.

TO MAKE A MEATH GOOD FOR THE LIVER AND LUNGS

Take of the Roots of Coltsfoot, Fennel and Fearn each four Ounces. Of Succory-roots, Sorrel-roots, Strawberry-roots, Bitter-sweet-roots, each two Ounces, of Scabious-roots and Elecampane-roots, each an Ounce and a half.

Ground-ivy, h.o.r.e-hound, Oak of Jerusalem, Lung-wort, Liver-wort, Maiden-hair, Harts-tongue of each two good-handfulls. Licorish four Ounces.

Jujubes, Raisins of the Sun and Currents, of each two Ounces; let the roots be sliced, and the herbs be broken a little with your hands; and boil all these in twenty quarts of fair running water, or, if you have it, in Rain water, with five Pints of good white honey, until one third part be boiled away; then pour the liquor through a jelly bag often upon a little Coriander-seeds, and Cinnamon; and when it runneth very clear, put it into Bottles well stopped, and set it cool for your use, and drink every morning a good draught of it, and at five in the afternoone.

TO MAKE WHITE METHEGLIN

Put to three Gallons of Spring-water, one of honey. First let it gently melt; then boil for an hour, continually skiming it; then put it into an earthen or a woodden vessel, and when it is a little more than Blood-warm, set it with Ale-yest, and so let it stand twelve hours. Then take off the yest, and bottle it up. Put into it Limon-peel and Cloves, or what best pleaseth your taste of Spice or Herbs. Eringo-roots put into it, when it is boiling, maketh it much better.

Note, That if you make Hydromel by fermentation in the hot Sun (which will last about fourty days, and requireth the greater heat) you must take it thence, before it be quite ended working; and stop it up very close, and set it in a cold Cellar, and not pierce it in two months, at the soonest.

It will be very good this way, if you make it so strong, as to bear an Egge very boyant. It is best made by taking all the Canicular days into your fermentation.

A VERY GOOD MEATH

Put three parts of water to one of honey. When the Honey is dissolved, it is to bear an Egge boyant. Boil it and skim it perfectly clear. You may boil in it Pellitory of the wall, Agrimony, or what herbs you please. To every ten Gallons of water, take Ginger, Cinnamon, _ana_, one Ounce, Nutmegs half an Ounce. Divide this quant.i.ty (sliced and bruised) into two parts. Boil the one in the Meath, severing it from the Liquor, when it is boiled, by running through a strainer; and hang the other parcel in the barrel by the bung in a bag with a bullet in it. When it is cold, Tun it.

And then you may work it with barm if you please; but it is most commended without.

TO MAKE WHITE METHEGLIN

Take the Honey-combs, that the Honey is run out from them, and lay them in water over night; next day strain them, and put the Liquor a boiling; Then take the whites of two or three Eggs, and clarifie the Liquor. When you have so done, skim it clean. Then take a handful of Peny-royal; four handfuls of Angelica; a handful of Rosemary; a handful of Borrage; a handful of Maidenhair, a handful of Harts-tongue; of Liverwort, of Water-cresses, of Scurvy-gra.s.s, _ana_, a handful; of the Roots of Marshmallows, Parsley, Fennel, _ana_, one Ounce. Let all these boil together in the Liquor, the s.p.a.ce of a quarter of an hour. Then strain the Liquor from them, and let it cool, till it be Blood-warm. Put in so much honey, until an Egge swim on it; and when your honey is melted, then put it into the Barrel. When it is almost cold, put a little Ale barm to it; And when it hath done working, put into your barrel a bag of Spice of Nutmegs, Ginger, Cloves and Mace, and grains good store; and if you will, put into a Lawn-bag two grains of Ambergreece and two grains of Musk, and fasten it in the mouth of your barrel, and so let it hang in the Liquor.

A MOST EXCELLENT METHEGLIN