54 THE SHAKESPEARE GARDEN 



essence of cloves, gilliflower and lemon water, sweet 

 marjoram water and the spirit of ambergris. 



"These were the Elizabethan lady's severer toils, 

 besides acres of tapestry she had always on hand. 

 Her more playful hours were devoted to the manu- 

 facture of casselettes, month pastilles, sweet waters, 

 odoriferant balls and scented gums for her husband's 

 pipe (God bless her!) and there were balsams and 

 electuaries for him to take to camp, if he were a 

 soldier fighting in Ireland or in the Low Countries, 

 and wound-drinks if he was a companion of 

 Frobisher and bound against the Spaniard, or the 

 Indian pearl-diver of the Pacific. She had a specific 

 which was of exceeding virtue in all swooning of 

 the head, decaying of the spirits, also in all pains 

 and numbness of joints and coming of cold. 



"That wonderful still-room contains not only 

 dried herbs and drugs, but gums, spices, ambergris, 

 storax and cedar-bark, civet and dried flowers and 

 roots. In that bowl angelica, carduus benedictus 

 (Holy Thistle), betony, juniper-berries and worm- 

 wood are steeping to make a cordial-water for the 

 young son about to travel; and yonder is oil of 

 cloves, oil of nutmegs, oil of cinnamon, sugar, am- 

 begris and musk, all mingling to form a quart of 



