60 THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS 



gathered | in the yere of our Lorde god | M.D.L. the XII. day of 

 Fe- | bruary by Anthonye | Askham Phi- | sycyon. 



" (Colophon.) Imprynted at | London in Flete- | strete 

 at the signe of the George | next to Saynte Dunstones | Churche 

 by Wylly- | am Powell. | In the yeare of oure Lorde | M.D.L. 

 the twelfe day of Marche." 



There are some charming prescriptions to be found in 

 " Askham's " Herbal. Under " rose," for instance, we have 

 recipes for " melroset," " sugar roset," " syrope of Rooses," 

 " oyle of roses " and " rose water." 



" Melrosette is made thus. Take faire purified honye and 

 new read rooses, the whyte endes of them clypped awaye, tha 

 chop theym smal and put the into the Hony and boyl the menely 

 together; to know whan it is boyled ynoughe, ye shal know 

 it by the swete odour and the colour read. Fyve yeares he may 

 be kept in his vertue ; by the Roses he hath vertue of comfortinge 

 and by the hony he hath vertu of clensinge. 



" Syrope of Rooses is made thus. Some do take roses dyght 

 as it is sayd and boyle them in water and in the water strayned 

 thei put suger and make a sirope thereof ; and some do make it 

 better, for they put roses in a vessell, hauing a strayght mouthe, 

 and they put to the roses hote water and thei let it stande 

 a day and a night and of that water, putting to it suger, thei 

 do make sirope, and some doe put more of Roses in the forsaid 

 vessel and more of hote water, and let it stande as is beforesaide, 

 and so they make a read water and make the rose syrope. 

 And some do stape new Roses and then strayne out the Joyce 

 of it and suger therwyth, they make sirope : and this is the best 

 making of sirope. In Wynter and in Somer it maye be geuen 

 competently to feble sicke melacoly and colorike people. 



" Sugar Roset is made thus Take newe gathered roses and 

 stape them righte smal with sugar, tha put in a glasse XXX. 

 dayes, let it stande in ye sunne and stirre it wel, and medle it 

 well together so it may be kept three yeares in his vertue. The 



