CENTURY I. 9 



baseth the finer. And therefore it is an error in 

 physicians, to rest simply upon the length of stay 

 for increasing the virtue. But if you will have the 

 infusion strong, in those kinds of bodies which have 

 fine spirits, your way is not to give longer time, but 

 to repeat the infusion of the body oftener. Take 

 violets, and infuse a good pugil of them in a quart 

 of vinegar ; let them stay three quarters of an hour, 

 and take them forth, and refresh the infusion with 

 like quantity of new violets, seven times ; and it will 

 make a vinegar so fresh of the flower, as if, a twelve 

 month after, it be brought you in a saucer, you shall 

 smell it before it come at you. Note, that it smelleth 

 more perfectly of the flower a good while after than 

 at first. 



18. This rule, which we have given, is of sin 

 gular use for the preparations of medicines, and 

 other infusions. As for example : the leaf of burrage 

 hath an excellent spirit to repress the fuliginous 

 vapour of dusky melancholy, and so to cure mad 

 ness : but nevertheless, if the leaf be infused long it 

 yieldeth forth but a raw substance, of no virtue : 

 therefore I suppose, that if in the must of wine, or 

 wort of beer, while it worketh, before it be tunned, 

 the burrage stay a small time, and be often changed 

 with fresh ; it will make a sovereign drink for me 

 lancholy passions. And the like I conceive of orange 

 flowers. 



19. Rhubarb hath manifestly in it parts of con 

 trary operations : parts that purge ; and parts that 

 bind the body : and the first lie looser, and the latter 



