LEECH BOOK. IJ. 295 



soap, for eight mornings of chervil, a moderate quantity, Book II. 

 in wine., a third part cdso of water ; then let him take '' ^^' 

 the netherward part of cucumber, rub it up into 

 foreign ale, sweeten with honey, let the man di-inlc 

 that the tenth night, for meat let him take the drink 

 at three times at the three cock crowings, 



3. For the yellow disease ; take the netherward part 

 of helenium, contrive that thou mayest have it on the 

 previous day ; when first thou usest it, take three 

 pieces in the morning and three at night, and they 

 shall be hits of it sliced into honey ; and the second 

 morning four pieces, and four at night; and the third 

 morning five pieces, and five at night ; and the fourth 

 morning six, and six at night. The following drink 

 shall avail for the same ; take alexanders and ground- 

 sel, pound them small, and form them into a potion in 

 clear ale. If a man have sudden ailments, make three 

 marks of Christ, one on the tongue, the second on the 

 head, the third upon the breast, soon he will be well. 

 To keep the body in health with prayer to the Lord : 

 this is a noble leechdom : take myrrh and rub it into 

 wine, so much as may be a good stoup full, and let 

 the man take it at night fasting, and again when he 

 will rest ; that wonderfully upholdeth the health of 

 the body, and it also is efficacious against the evil 

 temptings of the fiend. 



4. This is the noblest leechdom for the same ; take 

 myrrh and white frankincense, and savine and sage, and 

 dyeweed, and of the frankincense and of the myrrh 

 let there be most, and let the others be weighed, of 

 them let there be equal quantities ; and have them 

 rubbed to dust together in a mortar, have them set 

 under the altar, when it is Christmas tide, and let one 

 sing three masses over them, for three days in mid- 

 winter, and at St. Stephens tide, and St. John the 

 evangelists day, and for those three days let the man 

 take the leechdom in wine at night fasting, and what 

 there is left of the dust hold and keep ; it is power- 



