56 A GARDEN OF HERBS 



The Receipt Book of Patrick Lamb, Head Cook successively to 

 Charles II, James II, William and Mary, and Anne, 1716. 



COWSLIP WINE. Nine pints of water, two pounds of 

 Sugar. Boil and skim well. Pour it hot on one quart of 

 picked cowslips. Next day strain and add two spoonfuls 

 of yeast. Let it stand in an earthen pan a fortnight to 

 work, covered close and stirred three times a day for the 

 first three days. Then drain into bottles and stop it tight. 

 It will keep for a year. E. G. Hayden, Travels round our 

 Village. 



COWSLIP PUDDING. Half a peck of cowslips, pick off 

 the flowers and chop fine with J Ib. Naples Bisket grated, 

 ij pints new milk or cream. Boil them all together, then 

 take them off the fire. Beat up the yolks of eight and the 

 whites of four eggs in a little cream and a spoonful of rose- 

 water. Sweeten to taste. Stir over a slow fire till it is 

 thick, and then set it away to cool. Lay a puff paste round 

 the edge of the dish, pour in the pudding, and bake it half 

 an hour. When ready sprinkle fine powdered sugar and 

 serve hot. Ibid. 



COWSLIP SYRUP. Three pounds of the fresh blossoms 

 infused in five pints of boiling water, and then simmered 

 with sugar to a syrup. Dr. Fernie, Herbal Simples, 1897. 



DAISY 



" Shut not so soon ; the dull-eyed night 



Has not as yet begunne 

 To make a seisure on the light, 

 Or to scale up the Sun." 



Herrick, To Daisies. 



The Gaelic poet, Ossian, tells us how daisies were first 

 sown. When Malvina was weeping beside Fingal's tomb 

 for her infant son, the maids of Morven comforted her by 

 telling her they had seen the baby boy showering many 

 beautiful flowers from heaven on to the earth, and amongst 

 them the daisy. Sir John Hill says, " The daisy has great 

 but neglected virtues worthy of a serious attention. Their 



