^ Introduction {j£ 



of the flowers of lavender, and lavender water, syrup of 

 clove carnations, jasmine water, and sugar of damask 

 roses, musk rose water, rosemary water and spirit of 

 rosemary 7 , Madonna lily water, balm water, cowslip syrup, 

 elderflower water, and so forth. The luxurious scented 

 their baths according to the season, with rose leaves, 

 lemon peel, orange flowers, jasmine, rosemary, lavender, 

 mint or sage. In her still-room the lady of the house made 

 perfumed powders, wash-balls and pomanders, scented 

 ointments and sweet bags. The most delightful recipe I 

 know for a sweet bag is to be found in Ram's LittU 

 Dodoen (1606), and it runs thus : ' A Bag to smell unto 

 for Melancholy or to cause one to sleep. Take drie Rose 

 leaves, keep them close in a glass e which will keep them 

 sweet, then take powder of Mints, powder of Cloves in 

 a grosse powder, and put the same to the Rose leaves, 

 then put all these together in a bag, and take that to bed 

 with you, and it will cause you to sleep, and it is good to 

 smell unto at other times.' Our great-grandmothers filled 

 their sweet bags (which they hung on ' wing ' arm-chairs) 

 with lavender, sweet scented geranium leaves and verbena, 

 and a more delicious mixture it would be difficult to find. 

 The most famous of the old gardening books are full 

 of the writers' delight in the scent of flowers. ' If odours 

 may worke satisfaction,' wrote Gerard, * they are so 

 soveraigne in plants and so comfortable that no confec- 

 tion of the apothecaries can equall their excellent Vertue.' 

 In his Sylva Sylvarum, as in his famous essay, ■ Of 

 Gardens,' Bacon almost suggests the close connection 

 between scent and music. ' Scents and other odours are 

 sweeter in the Air at some distance. For we see that in 

 Sounds likewise they are sweetest when we cannot hear 



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