HERBS CfflEFLY USED IN THE PAST 99 



makers, and Cookes. Of them are made Comfits, 

 Marchpanes and such like, and with them a cunning 

 cook can make divers kech-choses for his master's table." 

 Barberries were used as a garnish to salads and other 

 dishes and sometimes as an ingredient. Evelyn mentions 

 them as an item in " Sallet All-sorts," and Gervase 

 Markham describes the making of "Paste of Genoa," 

 a confection of Quince, and adds, "In this sort you now 

 make paste of Peares, Apples, Wardens, Plummes of 

 all kindes, Cherries, Barberries or whatever fruit you 

 please." He adds this fruit to the ingredients required 

 in making aromatic vinegar, and also directs that a 

 good quantity of whole Barberries, both branches and 

 others," be served with Pike "or any fresh fish what- 

 soever." Parkinson says, " The leaves are sometimes 

 used in the stead of Sorrell to make sauce for meate, 

 and by reason of their sournesse are of the same quality." 

 The " delicious confitures d'epine -mnette, for which 

 Rouen is famous," are prepared from them, says Dr 

 Fernie, and there is no doubt that they make an ex- 

 cellent jelly. Formerly they were so much prized that, 

 as Miss Amherst quotes from Le Strange's " Household 

 Accounts," in 1618, 3s. was paid for one pound of them. 

 Strawberry leaves were used as a garnish and 

 for their flavour. Parkinson tells us that they were 

 " alwayes used among other herbes in cooling 

 drinks," and Markham mentions both them and 

 Violet leaves in his directions to " Smoar a Mallard," 

 and " to make an excellent Olepotrige, which is the 

 only principall dish of boyled meate, which is esteemed 

 in all Spaine. " For dessert " : The berries are often 

 brought to the table as a rare service, whereunto 

 Cleret wine, creame or milke is added with sugar. 

 The water distilled of the berries is good for the 

 passions of the heart, caused by the perturbation of 

 the spirits being eyther drunk alone or in wine, and 



