M. keep the water that ye draw from thence in a glass close stopped it may be serviceable to Queens and Empresses Take rose water three quarts assa dulcis poudred one ounce storax cloves wood of aloes camfre of each one dram musk and civet of each one scruple put all these into a glasse bottle close stopped which boile for the space of four houres in water then take the vessel wherein the water is and let it cool by degrees when it is cold streine it through a thick cloth then put it into another glasse vessel with fifteen graines of musk stop it close and set it in the Sun five dayes This perfume is so strong that if you mix one part thereof with twelve of water t wil be exceeding sweet Take Lavender flowers seven handfuls rosemary flowers clove July flowers orange peel of each three handfuls mint sage bay leaves elder flowers pennyroyall of each one handful cloves four ounces galingale nutmegs calamus aromaticus ginger cinnamon of each one ounce the best sented white wine three quarts powder all the spices and steep them in white wine put all into a glasse vessel stopped set it in the Sun eight dayes then put it into a glasse alembick with musk and distill all in B. M. Whether it be distilled or not it is a very sweet water excellent to wash the hands if ye mix one drop of it with a hundred of common water if it be applyed to the face it will free it from spots and freckles Take twenty graines of musk nutmegs cloves galingale spikenard grains of paradise mace cinnamon of each one ounce powder all very small and put them all into a pinte bottle of rose water let them steep four daies then pour on more rose water and after distil them in B. M. Or tye in a very fine rag musk and civet of each one dram put the bag into a three quart bottle fild with rose water expose it some days to the sun and ye shall have a rich sented water Take the purest Benzoin twelve ounces powder it very fine then take liquid styrax as much as will suffice to make it into a past when it is well mixt put it into a glasse alembick with a glasse head which ye must set in ashes or sifted sand and cement a receiver to the nose of the alembick with potters clay and the whites of egs very close that the vapours may have no vent forth which if they have they 'l be so strong that to most they 'l seem a stink rather then a perfume and to some persons may be very prejudicial when things are thus fitted kindle fire under it by degrees afterwards make the fire stronger at first ye shall draw a yellow water in a small quantity and worth little but presently after there will arise a vapour white as snow that will stick to the alembick when ye perceive that this rises no more then make the fire stronger but not too violent then will an oile ascend that is sweeter then the former and according to the colour of your oiles remember to change your receivers your last oile wil be an excellent Balsame But to make an exact perfume take an ounce and a half of the white snow oile of sweet almonds newly drawn four ounces melt both over a gentle fire stirring it continually with a spattula till the snowie part be dissolv'd and to give it a reddish colour put in a small piece of the root of alkanet so ye may have a perfume of an excellent sent Is you would have this oyl of a richer odour ye may dissolve therein one scruple of amber greece The black oile that remains at the bottome of your alembick is of a very strong smel but mixt with liquid styrax will make excellently sented pomanders if ye keep it by it self ye were best to keep it open that so the strong sent may evaporate CHAP. IV. Sweet Candles and Perfumes to burn YE are much beholding Ladies to ordinary Candles for when the sooty night would be-friend your Chamber-maids and make them seem as handsome as your selves that which discovers the cheat and makes ye be prefer'd before them is the friendly light those Candles lend they shew the difference betwixt a beauty and the foiles that usually attend her But if those common ones do ye much service these will more for if ye can once procure these ignes fatui to lead them ye may be sure to make fools of men and never fear but ye shall have servants after ye have got such enamouring flames Take Labdanum two ounces Storax one ounce Benjamin and Cloves of each half an ounce Mace a quarter of an ounce beat all to a pouder in a brasen mortar and when they are finely poudred set the mortar over a gentle fire and work them well together then take rosewater eight spoonfuls dissolve therein musk and civet of each three grains afterward put it with the rest of the ingredients into the mortar when ye have mixed all throughly together make the whole mass into small long roles when they are dry you may put them into a silken bag and lay them amongst linnen or burn them in your chamber or any where else at your pleasure They are a pleasing Perfume and will last good seven years Take Labdanum two drams Styrax calam a dram and a half benjamin frankincense white amber wood of aloes red roses wood of cypress cinnamon cloves of each two scruples amber musk of each five grains make them up into small cakes with gum tragaganth dissolved in spirit of roses one whereof cast upon the coals sents your chamber with a delightful vapour Take Labdanum one ounce and a half dryed charcoal made of willow one ounce myrrhe wood of aloes styrax calam of each one ounce and a half amber musk of each seven grains dissolve half an ounce of gum tragant in rosewater with a little spirit of wine and make them up into roles like small candles Take gum styrax calam benjamin of each equal quantities dissolve them in the best rosewater as soon as they are dissolved strein them hard thorough a thick cloth afterwards dry them and pouder them and keep the pouder for your use Take of this pouder thus prepared one ounce the weightiest wood of aloes poudred two drams red roses dryed ambergreece of each one dram zibet musk of each half a dram sweet balsame of Perâ— oyle of Rhodium of each one scruple ivory burnt till it be black as much as will suffice powder what is to be powdred then mix all with rose water and work them together into a kind of black paste make it into small bals which you must wrap in rose leaves and dry them in the shade then keep them well stopt in glasses This is a perfume for Persons of quality One or two of them cast upon coals or put into a quantity of rose water that is set over the coals will fill the room with a ravishing and coelestiall vapour that refreshes the braine and vitall spirits and corrects the malignity of any contagious aire Take Styrax calam prepared as before benzoin of each half an ounce your best wood of aloes two drams Zibet that is not adulterate one dram Gallia moscata one scruple oile of roses and of cloves of each half a scruple mix them according to art and with damask rose water make them into little bals They are of the same virtue with the former and used in the same manner CHAP. V. How to perfume Gloves TO adde the roses sweetness to the lillied loveliness of your snowie hands sent your gloves with these perfumes and they who take ye by the hand shall find all pleasures graspt in a handfull wherein all ravishing objects are that can convey those charming delights to the admiring fancy that both please the sight and feast the other senses too First then perfume your gloves thus Take a pair of smooth new Cordavan gloves wash them well for two or three daies once a day in good white wine pressing them well and smoothing them after every washing after the last washing when they are almost dry wash them in rose water wherein musk hath been dissolved let them lye in that water for one day then pull one of the gloves on your hand and with your other hand smooth and dry it then do the same to the other glove When this is done steep in water for four or five daies four ounces of gum tragagant the whitest you can get musk amber dryed marjoram of each one scruple boil them gently altogether and in the boiling add half a scruple of Zibet put these into a coverd vessel till they are cold then chaff and rub it well into the gloves afterward lay them in some place to dry Or wash those gloves ye intend to perfume first well in white wine then dry them in the shade after wash them in a pint of rose water sented with oile of cloves jasmine nutmegs labdanum of each half a scruple then take musk zibet ambergreece of each five graines beat them together in a mortar with a little oile of spike and mucilage of gum tragagant dissolv'd in rose water chaff this composition into the washt gloves before the fire FINIS
presents an inventory of of its best directions so often prov'd that I presume any course skin'd Ladie who will be so much her own friend to use them may soon be freed from doing pennance in natures sackcloth Take peeld Almonds six pound mastick prepard ceruse and gum dragant of each four ounces the whites of 4 eggs pound all together very carefully let it stand 5 or 6 days pounding it every day once then put them in a presse and keep the oile that comes forth to anoint the skin withall Take hempseed pound it small moisten it with a little aqua vitae then heat it in a frying pan made very clean so hot that you cant endure to touch afterward put it into a bag and presse it the oile that comes from it is exceeding good for the roughnesse of the skin Anoint any part that is too rough with oile of rape seed or bitter almonds or oile of wheat Or take sweet almonds cleansed and peeled foure pound moisten them with the spirit of wine rose water mixt together of each one ounce beat them together and fry them when they begin to smoke put them in a bag so presse them and there will come forth an oile very cleare which you must put into a pot of raine water and beat it together til it become exceeding white then keep it as a rare secret to smooth and pollish the skin CHAP. VI. How to cleans the sweatie and sluttish Complexion THE microcosme through the sordid sluttishnesse of some is often drownd in a nastie deluge of sweat out a designe perhaps to take Cupid captive and birdlime his wings with such clammie excrements but if they have no other tempting bait then the greasie pomatum which their own ill stuff'd bodies supply them with I am afraid though being blind he cannot see them he 'l smell them a mile off and so keep his distance They would doe much better to break off this petty plot upon Cupid and scour their bodies well with these abstersives Take bryony roots half a handfull serpentary the lesse or friars Coule pellitory of the wall elecampane of each three ounces whole beanes rice white vetches French barly of each two ounces and a half flowers of camomile melilot of each one handfull Boile all these together in raine water receive the fume up in the face If you would have it for your whole body double the quantities boile them powre them forth into a bath set a stoole in the bath cast a sheet over you and so receive the vapoure Vnguentum Citrinum is of great efficacy to help this distemper if you adde thereto a little sublimate carefully prepared or a little white hellebore finely powdred The fumes of the decoction of the shavings of Guajacum is exceeding good Take bean meale white vetches sweet almonds blanched gum dragant bryony roots of each half an ounce pound them a part then mix them and incorporate them with whites of egs make them up into little balls When you have occasion to use them dissolve them in barly water and bath the skin therewith going to bed next day wash with water wherein the finest flower hath been steept Take the roots of serpentary sliced dry them in the sun powder and sift them next incorporate them with rose water into a past dry them againe in the sun and powder them then adde a third part of ceruse prepared so as is directed in the 2. part c. 1. then worke all together with rose water dry them in the sun and at last bring it with beating it in a morter to a very fine powder When you would use it mix it with the juice of limmons and so make it into a liniment for a sweatie part Take barly half ripe two pound goats milke three pints the whites of a dozen eggs mix and distil them in balneo maris then use it Or take sifted bran the best leaven two pound as much vinegar as shall be requisite the whites of eight eggs mingle them and make it into a paste then distil it in B. M. Take thirty Snails prepared a quart of Goats milk hogs suet three ounces camfre poudred two drams beat them together and distil them in an Alembick The sluttishness and sweat of the skin may proceed either from an external cause as negligence to wipe and cleanse the face from that filth and ordure which may be ingendred by the aire or any other accident and then there needs no more to beautifie it than a constant washing and rubbing it Or from an internal as fuliginous vapours dâ—â—ain'd betwixt the Cutis and Epidermis by reason of its density This is the more frequent cause and for the more general cure of it the body must throughly be purged of those humors which produce such excrements and for topical applications you are to use such things as are set down in this Chapter Or you may scour and cleanse the body with water wherein fine wheat flower or the crum of white bread hath been infus'd adding to it a small quantity of the juyce of limmons Or with the decoction of mallow roots or lillies As also with the infusion of the roots of briony with the juyce of the roots of sowbread or wild cucumers incorporated with bean meal with the oyle of sulphur or tartar mixt either with clear fountain water or else with any of the former decoctions Thus far concerning the nasty sweat of the skin the next inconvenience that damages the beauty and which we intend to give remedies how to correct are itch and scabs CHAP. VII How to repair the beauty of an itchy or scabby skin I Am afraid Ladies that whilst I prescribe remedies for so loathsome a skin-defiling malady you will think I have forgot ye and am now addressing my self to your kitchin maids I must confesse these fretting exulcerations are more frequently incident to such as are forced to content themselves with courser commons as amongst the fleecy troops those are soonest scabby that feed in unwholsome pasture Yet the highest and best fed are not alwaies exempted from the infection nor are the most delicate Ladies especially if any thing irregular or intemperate wholly secured that they shall be no fuller of ill humors than their skins can hold If ever then your ill disposed humors grow so strong to break their way through the inclosing skin it will do you no harm to have something in readiness that may check their presumption Take Fumitory water an ounce and a half succory water three ounces syrup of fumitory and succory of each one ounce mix altogether and take it for your mornings draught use it for five dayes together then use this excellent medicine Take Sena two drams rhubarb one scruple annis seeds half a scruple white wine half a pint put all into an earthen bottle stopit close and set it over warm embers all night in the morning strain it out and drink it if the stomack be weak
dissolve both that and the ambergreece in rose water then mix them with the former Composition Take of the former Trochisks of roses half an ounce the best labdanum two ounces Styrax Calam. Benjamin of each one ounce violets poudred one ounce amber and musk of each half a dram pouder what is to be poudred and work them well together into a paste out of which ye may make Pomanders of an excellent and durable sent If ye like a perfumed Composition to carry about with ye in a silver box ye cannot have a better than this Take your true Jasmine butter half an ounce essence of orange flowers essence of cinnamon oyle of orange peel oyle of nutmegs essence of roses of each half a scruple flowers of benjamin one scruple essence of musk amber and civet of each half a scruple all these ye must work well together in a cold and small marble mortar then put it into your box CHAP. II. Pouders for the Hair Linnen and Sweet Baggs IF after ye have used all hitherto commended ye meet with any that defies your charms and is obstinate do not yet despair Ladies for this Chapter teaches ye how ye shall tickle his nose and fetch him about with a pouder which will give ye so rich a sent that the roses and violets in all your cheeks shall not make ye half so sweet Take Florentine iris roots finely poudred one pound Benjamin four ounces Cloves the like quantity Storax two ounces pouder them all very fine and mix them together This ye may use to sent your hair-pouder withal adding about three ounces of this pouder to a pound of Starch sifted and pounded or else to a like quantity of Rice pouder of Post or French Beans being first pounded and then sifted Take Iris roots six ounces red Rose leaves poudred four ounces Cyperus half a dram Marjoram Cloves and Storax of each one ounce Benjamin yellow Saunders of each half an ounce Violets three drams Musk one dram If ye pouder them grâ—sly they may serve to put in sweet bags to lay amongst linnen but if ye pouder them small and seirce them through a seive ye may keep the grosser part for the former use and with the more fine ye may perfume your hair-pouders This ye may observe in your other pouders Take Iris roots three pound Cyperus roots Benjamin yellow Saunders lignum Rhodium Citron peel Storax Calam. Cloves Cinnamon pâ—re Labdanum of each one ounce sweet Marjoram twelve handfuls flowers of Roman Camomile and Rosemary leaves of sweet Musk Tyme and Savory of each two handfuls and a half the best Musk a quarter of an ounce Civet half so much Ambergreece half a dram let all be driven into a grosse pouder except the Amber Civet and Musk which must be finely poudred and afterward mixed This is an excellent pouder for Linnen and Bags it will endure sixteen years exceeding strong and is as good a Composition as any where you can meet with If ye mix a lesse proportion of Zibet Musk and Amber it cannot be expected to be so pleasant nor lasting Take from the Apothecaries common Iris roots poudred one pound calamus aromaticus two ounces roses four ounces coriander seeds two ounces lignum Aloe one ounce marjoram orange peels of each one ounce storax calam ten drams Labdanum six drams Trochisks of Roses two ounces Lavender four ounces Cloves two ounces Bay leaves half a dram galingale two drams mix all these and pouder them fine then adde musk and amber of each half a dram Take yellow Saunders one ounce calamus aromaticus a like quantity marjoram three drams the leaves of damask Roses and Violets poudred of each two drams Nutmegs and Cloves of each one dram musk half a dram all must be beaten into a grosse pouder then put it into silken bags to lay amongst Linnen Take the roots of Florentine Iris four ounces Violet flowers newly dâ—yed one ounce the root of round Cyperus two drams the true distilled oyle of Roses a dram and a half reduce all these into a very fine pouder This gives a very delightful and pleasing smell and is composed for their sakes who do not affect those strong Perfumes that are made with musk and Zibet Ye may put it in silken taffity bags to lay amongst linnen or else it may serve to strew on the hair or cloaths Take the pressings that which remains after the oyle is drawn forth of sweet and bitter Almonds of each four ounces the flower of French Barley and Lupins of each two ounces the roots of the best Iris pounded one ounce white Roses dryed Benjamin six drams salt of white Tartar whitest Chalk poudred Sperma Coeti of each half an ounce oyle of Rhodium one scruple of Cloves and Lavender half a scruple mix and make them into a pouder it gives the hands and skin an excellent odour makes them white and smooth if ye often rub it on them or use it to wash withal CHAP. III. Sweet Waters Oils and Essences SUch Ladies is the efficacie of these liquors that they 'l cherish rather then extinguish the flames of love they 'l put ye in so sweet a pickle that will make ye dainties shall sharpen the appetite of those that have no flomack to fall on a Ladie In a word the Pope and all his Conclave shall never do so many wonders with their holy water as you may do with these Take three pints of damask rose water malmsey half a pint the flowers of lavender and spike of each two ounces Florentine flower de Luis roots two drams nutmeg styrax Calam of each half a drum Infuse altogether for a fortnight in a close stopt bottle then distill them in a glasse alembick putting into the nose of it a scruple of musk as much amber greece Ye may mix this water with ordinary water for your hands or put some of it on a chafing dish of coals it will recreate the sences with a pleasing vapour An equall quantity of rose water and vinegar set on the coals does the same Take rose water four ounces cinnamon half an ounce yellow saunders poudred wood of aloes citron peel cloves of each half a scruple musk two grains mix them and they will make an excellent sented water Take oiles of musk one dram of cloves six graines of lillies of the vally three graines a little Virgin wax mix them together according to art and you shall have an odoriferous balsam that comforts the brain and revives the sâ—irits if ye anoint the nostrils with a little of it Take cloves cinnamon lavender nutmegs of each two drams oiles of cloves angelica spike lavender of each half a scruple wax four drams musk and amber of each three graines make them into a Balsame which will be of the same virtues with the former Take musk finely powdred a dram and a half put it into a glasse alembick poure thereon two quarts ' of rose water distil this over a gentle fire in B.