Illustration — a stand-in until there's a photo of the real thing.
Source Thomas Dawson, The Good Huswifes Jewell, 1596 (Falconwood Press, 1988) — original
Ingredients
Balme leaves and stalkes
burnet leaves and flowers
a handfull of Rosemary
Turmentill leaves and rootes
Rose folis a handfull
red roses a handfull
Carnations a handfull
Isop a handfull
a handfull of Time
red strings that grow upon Savery a handfull
red Fennell leaves and rootes a handfull
red Pints a handfull
as much white wine as will cover the hearbes
an ounce of Sinamon
as much of Ginger
as much of Nutmegs
Cloves, 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 young Pigions
a dosen of Larks
the yolkes of twelve egges
a loafe of white bread cut in sippettes
Muskadell, or Bastard three gallons
Methridatum two or three ounces, or else as much perfect Treakell
Method
Take Balme leaves and stalkes, burnet leaves and flowers, a handfull of Rosemary, Turmentill leaves and rootes, Rose folis a handfull, red roses a handfull, Carnations a handfull, Isop a handfull, a handfull of Time, red strings that grow upon Savery a handfull, red Fennell leaves and rootes a handfull, red Pints a Handfull, put all these hearbes into a pot of earth glased, and put therto as much white wine as will cover the hearbes, and let them soake therein eight or nine dayes,
then take an ounce of Sinamon, as much of Ginger, as much of Nutmegs, Cloves, 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 young Pigions, a dosen of Larks, the yolkes of twelve 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 therto 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 by it selfe, and the second water alone also,
& when there cometh no more water with strings, take away the limbecke, & put into the pot more wine upon the same stuffe; and stylle it againe, and you shal have an other good water, and shall so remaine good.
Take of this water three spoonefuls a daye, in the morning, and another after he goeth to dinner, and the third last at night.
Notes
Caryl: "from everything but the kitchen sink!"
This recipe predates 1700 and is quoted from its original printed source. Spelling is left exactly as printed.
