for feareleaft the Bees depart and fie away. The veffels whereout honey hath beene emploied, G | 
5 “poy \ 
The one and twentieth Booke 
~yea,and honey combes,would bee well rinced and wafked in water: which being throughly fod- 
den,maketh a moft wholefome and excellent vinegre. end Ye 
Astouching Wax, itis made of the combes after the honey is preffed and wrong out of 
them. But firft they muft bee purified and cleanfed with water, andforthree daies dried in fome 
datke place: upon the fourth day they are to be diffolved and melred upon the fire in a new ear- 
then pot never occupied before,with{o much water as will coverthe combes:and then it thould 
be ftrained through a panier of reeds or rufhes: which done,the wax is to be fet over the fire afe- 
cond time in thefame pot, and with the felfefame watersand fodden againe;and then it ought to 
run out of it into other veflels of cold water,but thofe firft (hould beall about within annointed 
and befimeared with honey. Thebeft wax is that which iscalled Punica, #.of Barbarie, and is 
white. The next in goodneffe is the yelloweft,and {melleth of honey,pure and cleane withourfo- 
phiftication ; fuch commeth from the countrey of Pontus: and verelyI wonder much how this 
wax (hould hold good, confidering the venomous honey whereof itis made. In the third place 
istobe raunged the wax of Candie : for this ftandeth much vpon that matter which they call 
Propolis,whereof I have alreadie {poken in the Treatife of Bees and their nature. Afterall thefe, 
the wax of the Ifle Corfyca may be reckoned in the fourth ranke: which becaufe it ismade much 
of the Box tree, is thought to havea vertue medicinable. Nowthe making and working of the ~ 
firft and beft Punicke white wax, is after this manner: They take yellowwax, and turne it often 
in the wind without the houfein the open aire ; then they letit{feeth in fea;water, and namely, 
fuch as hath been fet farre from the fhore out of the very deepe,putting thereto Nitre : this done, 
they {cum off the flower (that is to fay,the whiteft of it) with fpoones;and this creame(as it were) 
they change into another veffell, which hath a little cold water in it. Then once again they boile 
_ iin fea-water by ic felfe alone,and fet the veflell by for to coole.After they have done thus three 
times, they let it drie in the open aire upon an hurdle of rufhes, in the Sunne and Moone, both 
night and day ; and this ordering bringeth itto be faire and white. Now, in the drying, for feare 
thacit fhould melt,they cover it all over with a fine Linnen cloth.But if they would have itto be 
exceeding white indeed, they feeth it yet once more, after it hath been thus funned & mooned, 
In truth, this Punicke white wax,is fimply the deft to be nfed about medicines.If one be difpofed 
to make wax blacke,let him put thereto the afhes of paper:like as with an addition of Orchanet 
-it will be red. Moreover,wax may bee brought into all manner of colours, for painters, limners, 
*The fruit or 
and enainellers, and {uch curious artificers, to reprefent the forme and fimilitude of anything — 
they lift. Andtor a thoufand other purpofes men have ufe thereof, but principally co preferve 
their walls and armours withall. All other things as touching Honey and Bees, have ben hand- 
Jed alreadie in the peculiar Treatife to them and their nature belonging. Here an-end therefore 
of Gardens and Gardinage, 4 
| Cuar. Xv. : 
eS: Of hearbs which come up of themfelves, and fach efpecially as be armed with pricks. 
ie remaincth now to {peake of certaine wild hearbs growing of their own accord,which in ma- 
hy natiogs ferve for the kitchin, and principally in Agypt: for this countrey, although it bee 
moft plentifull in corne, yet may feemetohave leaft need thereof, and of all nations under 
heaven beft able to live withouz the fame : fo well ftored itis with hearbs, wherofthe people doth 
ordinarily feed: whereas in Italie here, wee know4s few of that kind good to be eaten, natnely, 
Strawberries, * Tanus, Rufcus, Creftemarine or Sampire ; as alfo Batis Hortenfiana, which 
berrie whereof fome call French Sperage: we have alfo the wildParfnep of the medows, and the Hop, but wee — 
is Puss Taminia 
ufe them rather for pleafure and delight, and to give contentment to our taft,than for any necefe 
fatie food to maintaine life. But to come againe to Egypt,there isto be found the nobleft plant 
of all others, Colocafia, which fome name Cyamos, |2. the Egyptian beane: ] this hearbe they 
gather and cut downe out of the river Nilus :it putteth forth a maine ftem, which being fodden, 
yeeldeth in the eating and chewing, acertaine threadie matter or woolly {ubftance, drawing out 
in mannet of a cobweb ; but the ftalke as it groweth up amid the leaves,maketh afaire andgood- 
Jy thew: for indeed the faid leaves be exceeding large,and comparable to the broadeft that any 
tree beareth ; refembling thofe forall the world of the Clote or great Burrhe growing in our ri- 
| vers 
