HERB DRINKS AND HOME-MADE WINES 173 



APPLE, PEACH OR PEAR WATER. In a quart of water put 

 five or six apricots, peaches or pears according to their big- 

 ness augmenting or diminishing; cut them in pieces into 

 the water. Boil them in it, put in four or five ounces of 

 sugar. 



Being cold put it through a straining bag until it be clear. 

 Put it to cool and give it to drink. Ibid. 



To MAKE ORANGE-FLOWER BRANDY. Take a gallon of 

 French Brandy, boil a pound of orange flowers a little while, 

 and put them in, save the water and with that make a syrup 

 to sweeten it. E. Smith, The Compleat Housewife, 1736. 



THE SAFFRON CORDIAL. Fill a large still with marigold 

 flowers, adding to them of nutmegs, mace, and English 

 Saffron, of each an ounce ; then take three pints of muscadine, 

 or Malaga sack, and with a sprig of rosemary dash it on the 

 flowers; then distil it off with a slow fire, and let it drop 

 on white sugar-candy, draw it off till it begins to be sour ; 

 save a pint of the first running to mix with the other waters 

 on an extraordinary occasion, mix the rest together to drink 

 it by itself. This Cordial is excellent in fainting and for 

 the small-pox or ague ; take five or six spoonfuls at a time. 

 Ibid. 



BLACK CHERRY WATER FOR CHILDREN. Take six pounds 

 of black cherries and bruise them small, then put to them 

 the tops of rosemary, sweet marjoram, spearmint, angelica, 

 balm, marigold flowers, of each a handful, dried violets an 

 ounce, aniseeds and sweet fennell seeds, of each half an ounce 

 bruised ; cut the herbs small, mix them together, and distil 

 them off in a cold still. This water is excellent for children, 

 giving them two or three spoonfuls at a time. Ibid. 



To MAKE WHITE CAUDLE. Take four spoonfuls of oat- 

 meal, two blades of mace, a piece of lemon-peel, cloves and 

 ginger, of each a quarter of an ounce; put these into two 

 quarts of water, and let it boil about an hour, stirring it 

 often ; then strain it out, and add to every quart half a pint 

 of wine, some grated nutmeg and sugar. Ibid. 



