MANUSCRIPT AND PRINTED HERBALS 61 



quatitie of sugar and roses should be thus. In IIII. pound of 

 sugar a pounde of roses. 



" Oyle of roses is made thus. Some boyle roses in oyle 

 and kepe it, some do fyll a glasse with roses and oyle and they 

 boyle it in a caudron full of water and this oyle is good. Some 

 stampe fresh roses with oyle and they put it in a vessel of glasse 

 and set it in the siane IIII. dais and this oyle is good. 



" Rose water. Some do put rose water in a glass and they 

 put roses with their dew therto and they make it to boile in 

 water tha thei set it in the sune tyll it be readde and this water 

 is beste." 



Under the same flower we find this fragrant example of the 

 widespread mediaeval behef in the efficacy of good smells : — 



" Also drye roses put to ye nose to smeU do coforte the braine 

 and the harte and quencheth sprite." 



The herbaUsts were never weary of teaching the value of 

 sweet scents.^ " If odours may worke satisfaction," wrote 

 Gerard in his Herhall, '' they are so soveraigne in plants and so 

 comfortable that no confection of the apothecaries can equall 

 their excellent vertue." One of the most delicious " scent " 

 prescriptions in Askham is to be found under Violet — " For 

 the that may not slepe for sickness seeth this herb in water 

 and at euen let him soke well hys feete in the water to the ancles, 

 wha he goeth to bed, bind of this herbe to his temples and he 

 shall slepe wel by the grace of God." 



The most curious recipe is that under " woodbinde." " Go 

 to the roote of woodbinde and make a hole in the middes of 

 the roote, than cover it weU againe y' no ayre go out nor that 



^ The popular belief in the power of sweet-smelling herbs to ward off 

 infection of the much-dreaded plague rose to its height in Charles II. 's reign, 

 when bunches of rosemary were sold for six and eightpence. Till recently 

 there were at least two survivals of this belief in herbal scents — the doctor's 

 gold-headed cane (formerly a pomander carried at the end of a cane) and the 

 Httle bouquets carried by the clergy at the distribution of the Maundy Money 

 in Westminster Abbey. 



