474 
EXTRACTS FROM ANCIENT PHARMACY. 
esteem it among themselves to be of such excellence, that one brother will not 
teach it another. 
The reader curious in such details is referred to an odoriferous and precious 
water, wherewith a man may wet or bathe any linen cloth, to wipe or rub his 
face, which will make the flesh white and well-coloured : and the more a man 
rubbeth his face with it, the fairer it is, and also continueth six months. A 
thing experimented and proved, yea an it were for a queen. 
While to such pharmaceutists as may be inclined to prosecute their studies 
next autumn in a northern region, this last extract may prove of interest. 
To make Conserve or Confiture of Quinces, called in Latin, cotoneatum, 
cydoniatum, or cidonites: as they do in Valencia, which also the Genoese do 
use : we call it in English, marmalade. 
Before we take leave of Alexis altogether, one passage in the original ortho¬ 
graphy may be subjoined. 
“ A merueylous secrete for to preserue a man from the plague and hath bene 
proued in Englande of all the Phisitious in that great and vehement plague, in 
the yere 1348, which crepte thorowe oute all the worlde, and there was neuer 
man that vsed this secrete, but he was preserued from the plague. 
“Take Aloe Epaticura, or Cicotrine, fyne Synamom, and Myrre, of eche of 
them three dragmes. Clones Mace, Lignum Aloe, Masticke, Bolearmenicke of 
eche of them halfe a dragme. Let all these thynges be well stamped in a 
cleane morter, then mingle them together, and after keepe them in some close 
vessell, and take of it euery morning two penny weyght, in halfe a glasse full 
of whyte wyne, with a lytle water, and drinke it in the morning at the 
dawninge of the daye. And so may you (by the grace of God) goo hardlye 
into all infection of the ayre and plague.’’ 
This last passage is translated from the original English, with notes. 
“ To make lye to wash the head, which (beside that it comforteth the brain, 
and the memory) maketh the hair long, fair, and yellow like gold. (Page 74.) 
Take lye that is not too strong, but as women commonly make it to wash their 
heads: and make as much of it in a kettle as will serve you ten washings, 
putting to it this following,—the peels of ten oranges, or of sweet lemons, if 
you have any, if not take sour ones, the peels of citrons, as many as you can 
get, be they green or dry it is all one ; the blossoms of chamomile, bay-leaves, 
a handful of the herb called maiden-hair, half a handful of agrimony; two 
or three handfuls of barley straw chopped in pieces, half a dishful of a kind of 
pulse corn, called in Latin Lupinus, and in French Lupins, having one stalk, 
the leaf in five divisions, the cod^ creavesedf about, having in it five or six 
grains, hard, broad, and red, they be commonly in France and in Italy, but 
here in England unnethj known, and therefore they have no English name; 
they must be dried, a dishful of fenugreek, half a pound of wine lyes, or two 
or three dishfuls of broom blossoms, wLereof it is good always to have some 
dry in your house to make such things withal. Put all this that I have named 
in a great vessel with the said lye, leaving it always so, to take thereof and 
occupy when you will. And the longer the said lye shall be compounded with 
the foresaid things the better it will be. The said Composition wull be good 
for five or six months or more, and you may renew it at your pleasure. But 
when you will put it in use, take it handsomely and cleanly up, without 
* “ Cod, Fod, s. {codde, Sax.) ? cosse or ecosse. Any case or husk in which seeds are 
lodged.”— Mortimer. 
“ Thy corn thou there may’st safely sow, 
Where in full cods last year rich pease did grow.”—May. (1594-1650). 
f Creavesed about (Fr. crevasse, crack or fissure), puckered or crinkled, 
j TInnetli, seai’cely, hardly (Spenser); also uneatli, as “ Uneath may she endure the flinty 
streets” (Henry Yl., Part II, act 2, sc. iv.). 
