I 
THE HONEY-BEE IN NEW ZEALAND. 
61 
This was a drink frequently used among the ancient 
Romans, who, I suppose, first taught the ordering of bees, 
and brought this wholesome liquor into England. We 
find by history, it was the approved and common drink of 
our ancestors, even of our kings and queens, who, in former 
ages, preferred the liquors of the product of the island, 
before those imported from foreign countries; as did the 
famous and renowned Queen Elizabeth, who every year • 
had a vessel of metheglin made for her own drinking. A 
receipt of this queen’s metheglin coming to my hands, I 
shall oblige the reader therewith, as follows :— 
Take a bushel of sweet briar leaves, as much of thyme ; 
half a bushel of rosemary leaves, and a peck of bay leaves; 
and having well washed them, boil them in a copper of 
fair water: let them boil the space of half an hour, or 
better, and then pour out all the water and herbs into a 
vat, and let it stand till it be but milk warm; then strain 
the water from the herbs, and take to every gallon of 
water one gallon of the finest honey, and beat it together 
for the space of an hour; and let it stand two days, stirring 
it well twice or thrice a day; then take the liquor and boil 
it again, and skim it as long as there remains any scum ; 
when it is clear, put into a vat as before, and let it stand 
to cool. You must then have in readiness a vat of new 
ale or beer, which as soon as you have emptied suddenly, 
presently put in the metheglin, and let stand three days a 
working, and then tun it up in barrels, tying at every tap 
hole, by a pack thread, a little bag of beaten cloves and 
mace, to the value of an ounce. It must stand half a year 
before it be drank. 
Royal Mead. 
In six gallons of water put six quarts of honey, stirring 
it till the honey is thoroughly mixed; then set it over the 
fire, and when ready to boil, scum it very well; add one 
quarter of an ounce of mace, as much ginger, half an ounce 
of nutmeg, some sweet marjoram, thyme, and sweet briar, 
together a handful; boil it in the liquid ; let it stand till 
cold ; set it working with a little yeast in a barrel, putting 
the bung lightly on, and filling it up from time to time 
/ 
