HERB POTTAGES 155 



boyl and then lade it to and fro five or six minutes, then 

 take it off and let it stand awhile that the oatmeal may sink 

 to the bottom then strain it adding butter, salt and bread 

 and when it is about Blood warm eat it. This is a gallant 

 sublime pottage ... it chears and comforts the Spirits, 

 breeds good Blood and makes the whole body lightsom. 



The same method you ought to follow in making all sorts 

 of gruels and herb pottages, be the Herbs of what Nature 

 they will, for the boyling of Herbs not only in pottage but 

 for any other use of Food was not invented by wise seers 

 into the Arcana of Nature, for it does as it were totally 

 destroy the pure volatile spirits and balsamick vertues, as 

 also the strong warming properties thereof. For this 

 cause raw Herbs are much better. This is the way the wise, 

 healthy, long-lived Antients prepared their herbs, who made 

 them one of their principal Foods. Boyling any sorts of 

 Herbs does in a moment's time either suffocate or evaporate 

 the volatile Spirits of them and then all the sweet, pleasant, 

 cleansing virtues are gone. Ibid. 



GARLIC OR ONION POTTAGE. Take water and oatmeal, 

 stir it together and when it is ready to boyl, bruise as much 

 garlick or onion as you please, to make it either strong or 

 weak, put this bruised garlick into your boyling hot gruel 

 and brew it to and fro with your ladle that it may not boyl, 

 for five or six minutes; then take if off and let it stand a 

 little, then add butter, salt and bread and eat it as warm as 

 your Blood. Tis a brave, warm, cleansing Gruel, nothing 

 so strong and nauseous as that which is boyled for this 

 way you do extract the finer and purer parts of the garlic, 

 and leaves the strong, nauseous Qualities behind, but on the 

 contrary much boyling, or boyling according to custom, does 

 destroy the good cleansing vertues and awakens the Evil. 

 Ibid. * 



To MAKE SPINAGE POTTAGE. Take nothing but the Heart, 

 or Soundest Part of the Spinage ; mince it fine, and stew it 

 in a Pipkin with Pease-soop, an onion stuck with Cloves, a 



