feare of offence till all be eaten vp And thus doe for fourteene dayes together at the least and you shall see the Horse prosper in wonderfull and strange manner How to keepe a Horse or Iade from tyring IF you ride on a tyring Iade oâ— feare the perplexed crueltie of â— tyred Iadc then be sure to carrie about you the fine searse powder of Elicampane and when others baytâ— their Horses or that you come to the place of Bayte for your Horseâ— the first thing you doe set vp youâ— Horse warme and doe not walke him After he hath been well rubbed take a quart of strong Ale and put thereto halfe an ounce of thâ— Powder of Elicampane and brew iâ— altogether then giue it the Horse with an Horne which done tye hiâ— head to the Racke for you need noâ— care for Prouendar till night aâ— which time Prouendar him well and in the morning giue him Oateâ— or Bread or both in plentifull manner and being ready to backe him giue him the former quantitie of Ale and the powder aforesaid and doubtlesse you shall find him to trauell with great courage and spirit Also if you take a bunch of penniroyall and tye it to the mouth of your Bit or Snaffell you shall find it verie comfortable it will cause your Horse to trauell lustily Now if your Horse notwithstanding all this do happen to tire then you shall take off the Saddle and with the Hearbe called Arsesmart rub his back all ouer verie hard theÌ„ laying Arsesmart also vnder the Saddle so ride him and if there be any life in him it wil make him go For this is a notable torment and the smart is almost vnsufferable and therefore I would haue you vse it with great discretion and but seldome or when extremity requireth it Another Receit against tyring or for anysore or dangerous Cold. TAke of the best Indian Necotian which we call Tobacco and be sure it be not sophisticated or by any other accidentall meanes adulterated Dry this in the Sunne in a Glâ—sse close lutâ—d then pound it verie small and mixe it with an equall quantitie of the Powder of Cockel-shels then with the Oyle of Dill and the Oyle of Cloues make the Powder into a Paste or solid body then make prettie round Bals thereof as bigge as Walnuts and dry them in the shadow in the Canicular dayes otherwise called the Dogge dayes then keepe them close in a sweet Gally Pot and giue them as Pils in the time of necessitie that is to say a Ball at a time whensoeuer your Horse shall faynt in trauell or if your Horse haue taken any sore cold or surfeit then giue him the Ball in the morning fasting and let him haue a little exercise after it then cloathe warme rub well be sure not to lay any cold water to the Horses heart without moderate exercise after it for of all dangers that is the greatest Another Receipt for any extraordinary Cold dry Cough or pursicknesse in an Horse which the weake Farriers call Broken winded BEcause the former Receipt iâ— curious in the making and asketh the obseruation of times anâ— Seasons neither can be effected aâ— all times and howres thereforeâ—â— will set you downe here the secret of my knowlege and those readyâ—â— easie and approued Receipts whicâ— I neuer found to faylâ— but to workâ— that goodnesse which I haue eueâ— desired Therefore whensoeuer you find your Horse taken with any extreamâ— old Cold dry Cough or Pursickneâ— which ignorance Farriers call Broâ—ken winded you shall take threeâ— quarters of an ounce of the Conserue of Elicampane and dissolue it in a pint and a halfe of the best SacÌ„k and so giue it to the Horse with an Horne in the morning fasting and ryde him alittle after it And this you shall doe diuers mornings together till you see the infirmitie decrease and wast away Now because there is some curiositie in the making of this coÌ„serue of Elicampane and that diuers men doe compound according to their diuerse opinions I will here shew you the seuerall compositions their seuerall vses and their seuerall vertues together with mine owne opinion of the goodnes as I haue found it in my practise so to leaue it to your owne iudgement The conserue of Elicampane is of two kindes the one is Simple the other is Compound The Simple Conserue is made in this manner Take of the purest Rootes of Elicampane that are preserued in sweeâ— Surrup and beat those Roots anâ— the Surrup together in a Morter till you haue brought it to an entitâ— thin Substance then with the fineâ— refined Sugar that can be got thicken it vp and bring it to the perfect body of a Conserue then put it in 〈◊〉 Gally pot and keepe it close anâ— vse it in time of necessitie as waâ— before shewed This Simple Conscrue is of excellent vse and taketh away any ordinary Cold or stopping it comforteth the Lungs inlargeth thâ— Wind purgeth the Head of all filâ—thy matter and dissolueth manâ— other obstructions yet is not thâ— the best Conserue neither worketâ— the best effect if the infirmitie bâ— old and dangerous or if there bâ— any attainture in the Lungs or Lâ—uer therefore in that case you shaâ— flye to the Compound Conseruâ— which is made in this maner Take the best candied Roots of Elicampane that can be gotten and beat them in a Morter with the Sirrup of Coltsfoot till it be brought to a very thin substance then with the finest refined Suger thicken it as before shewed till it be brought to the true body of a Conserue then keepe it close in a Gally pot and vse it with Sacke as was before declared This is the true Conserue and hath the greatest vertue for I haue knowne it in the continuance of a small time and by the daily vse thereof to take away diuers dry and supposed incurable Coughes it hath taken away the heauing of the body and so inlarged the wind that albeit the motion was before swift like the broken winded yet it hath come to a moderare and â—low temper and the dry Cough which did accompanie it hath been quite put awae Now whereas I prescribe vnto you the taking of the candieâ— Roots of Elicampane I thinke it noâ— amisse because the Apothicarie is not euer at your elbow to shew yoâ— how you shall candye them youâ— selfe As thus Take of the finest refined Sugar or the best white Sugar Candy anâ— dissolue it in Rose water then boilâ— it to an heighth and when the Sirrup is cold put in your Roots being cleare and well clensed and let them rest in the Sirrup a prettiâ— space then take them out and boilâ— the Sirrup ouer againe and as before put in your Roots then boyle the Sirrup ouer againe the third time to an hardnesse putting iâ— more Sugar but no Rose water then put in all your Roots the Sirrup being cold and so let theâ— stand till they candy And in this wise
as thus you obserue his Ordure so you must also obserue his Vrine Of both which I haue written sufficiently in my former Bookes As these quallities of feeding and emptying so you shall note his quallities in Rest and Watching that is in his lying down and standing vp what howres and time hee obserueth for either and how long he perseuereth in them and if at any time you find any suddaine or grosse alteration then be assured of some sicknesse approaching And thus of any other particular quallitie in your Horse which you shall obserue in his health for it is impossible to nominate all if you find them suddainly to surprise it is doubtlesse that there is some sicknesse following As you thus obserue the Complection quallities of the Horse so you must obserue his naturall customes and conditions and how in his liuelihood and best health he standeth affected for to name them I cannot because they proceed most from hidden inclinations or else accidentall apprehensions which by continuance of time grow to naturall habits And any of these when they shall surcease or faile are true progoastications of distemperature and sicknesse Many other signes of sicknesse there are as the not casting of the Coate in due time Hyde-bound continuall dislike and leannesse where there is good feeding beside many other But they are so vulgar and commonly knowne that I need not rehearse them and these signes already written are sufficient for knowledge The curing of any heart sicknesse or head sicknesse or any ordinarie inward sicknesse I Will now descend to the cure of these inward sicknesses and although euery seuerall sicknesse haue a seuerall cure as I haue shewed at large in my Bookes yet I will draw all here into one hidden but certaine and most infallible approued Method which I haue neuer found prosperous and fortunate Whensoeuer either by the signes before rehearsed or other accident or knowledge you shall find your Horse grieuously payned with inward sicknesse the first thing you doe you shall open his Neck-veine and receiue some of the first blood into a Pewter porrenger which if you set it in cold water it will presently discouer the foulnesse and putrefaction so then you shall let the Horse bleed well till the blood change neither must you be nice or tender in this action because you must vnderstand that all inward sicknesses in Horses draw their effects from the putrefaction of the blood only And this is the reason It is certaine that the Horse of all other Creatures hath no Gall or naturall Vessell into which to receiue the skummy and putrefied matter which ariseth fom the corrupt and collericke blood but it is either auoyded in excrements humours or moderate exercise and sweates or else by immoderate exercise and violent labour By too much repletion and fulnesse by vnwholsome food and euill dyet or by some other naturall defect this chollericke corruption increasing and ouerflowing it presently and in an instant ouer-spreads the whole body hauing its course through euerie veine and so discoloureth the skin and makes all the outward partes yellow especially the Eyes and inside of the Lips also mixing with the better blood and confounding the strength and vertue thereof it brings a generall faintnesse ouer all the body and in the end suffocating the heart of force there must follow sodaine and certaine mortallitie and hence proceedeth those sodaine deathes of Horses for which our weake Farriers can giue but an idle and foolish account But to returne to my purpose after you haue taken away good store of blood and as you imagine all or at least most part of that which is corrupt you shall then set him vp in the Stable tying his head to the emptic Racke gently and at lyberty neither so high that he shall be compelled to rest his Head vpon the Bridle nor yet so low that hee may thrust his Head into the Maunger and thus ye shall let him and at least two howres Now if the sicknesse be not very contagious and dangerous you shall not administer any potion vnto him that day because the veine being opened and all the humors powers and faculties of the body disturbed it will bee a double vexation to the spirits to haue the working of the Potion also therefore in this case the sicknesse not being violent you may forbeare further administration and onely after the Horse hath fasted as before said you shall giue him such food as he will eate whether it bee Hay Bread or Corne and alwayes prouided that it be strong sauorie sweet dry and cleane drest as for the quantitie it matters not for a small pittance will maintaine life and humor is now to the Horse as food besides emptines is no great displeasure At high Noone you shall giue him a sweete Mash of Malt and Water made in this manner Take halfe a pecke of good Malt well ground and put it into a payle by it selfe then take a gallon of faire cleere Water and set it on the fire then when it is come to the heighth that it is ready to boyle put as much of it to the Malt as will moyst and couer the Malt all ouer and stirre them exceedingly well together crushing the Malt with a flat Rudder as much as you can euer and anon tasting it with your finger till it bee as sweet as any Honey and then couer it ouer with Cloathes as close as you can and so let it stand and stoone for two or three howres at the least then the howre being come in which the Horse is to receiue it vncouer the Mash and stirre it well about but finding it too hot then put to it some cleere cold Water that may temper and allay it but in any wife not so much as may take away any part of the sweetnesse and in this tempering with your hand crush and squeeze the Malt as much as you can then the Mash being luke warme giue it the Horse to drink and if he will eat of the Malt let him take thereof at his pleasure This is the best manner of making an ordinarie Mash or Horse-Caudle for of that nature and quallitie it is and to that purpose that a Caudle is administred to a Man is this giuen to a Horse for you must vnderstand that in these contagious diseases nothing is more pesâ—ilent than cold Water and especially when exercise cannot be vsed The ruder Farriers and Horse-Groomes doe make the Mash another way putting the Malt to the Water at the first and so boyling them both together but this is vnwholsome and naught and that euerie good House-wife can witnesse for this long boyling ouer-scaldes the Malt takes away the strength and sweetnesse and giues an harsh and vnsauorie taste which is offensiue to the Horses nature If your Horse be coy and refuse to take the Mash as many are partly for want of vse and custome and partly through weaknesse of stomacke then you shall straine the Water from
the Malt exceeding hard and so giue it him with an Horne to drinke then take the Graines which you haue so strained and put them in the Manger before the Horse on which whether he feed or no it matters not for if he but smell and snuffell his nose vpon them it is sufficient and the fume thereof is wonderous wholsome for his head After you haue thus giuen him his Mash you shall see that he be very warmely cloathed as namely a good woollen Body-Cloath to come round about his heart a large Cloath or two to come ouer it and to be well wispt round about with soft thicke and large wispes for the little hard and neat wispes though they are comly to the eye yet are they vnwholsome for the body for their hardnesse and smalnesse makes an impression into the Horses sides and causeth him forbeare to lye downe when Nature and rest requireth it The Horse being thus warmely cloathed as aforesaid and with a very warme Brest-cloath before his breast for that is an especiall part to keepe warme you shall then cause one or two to rub all his foure Legs from his Knees Cambrels downward with very hard wispes and to rub them so hard as may be and whilst his limbes are thus in rubbing you shall take a course rubber or two made of new harden or hempen Cloth and warming one after another ouer a pan of Coales with them rub the Horse exceeding much in the nape of the Necke or the Polle iust betweene his Eares and on the Temples of the Head for there is nothing more wholesome than these frictions and chafings for they dissolue humours reuiue all naturall heat bring a cheerfull nimblenesse into the â—limbes and purge the head of all grosse cold and tough matter cleansing and purifying the Brayne by which the members and other faculties are fortified and the whole Body reduced backe to its first strength and abillitie As soone as you haue ended this action of rubbing you may then let the Horse take his rest for two or three howres and onely leaue a locke or two of sweete Hay in his Racke and no more for the least quantitie of any things too much soone cloyeth a sicke Horse In the Euening you shall come to the Horse againe and hauing rubbed all his limbes and head as was before shewed you shall then perfume his head in this manner Take of the best and purest Oliâ—anum an ounce then as much Storax and as much Beniamin and bruise all them together I doe not meane bruise them to small powder but onely breake them into small lumpes and mixe them well together so that taking them vp betweene your fingers you may not take vp one ingredient alone but some of all Then take a Chafing-dish and if it be possible a Chafing-dish after the manner of the perfuming Chafingdish which is wide below where the fire is and narrow at the top where the smoake auoydeth and in this Chafingdish put well kindled Wood cole or small Charcoale then take some of the aforesad perfume and lay it vpon the Coales but in any wise so as it may not flame but smoake then hold the Chafingdish vnder the Horses nose and let the smoake goe vp into his Nostrils and thus perfume him well for the space of a quarter of an howre or halfe an howre at the most Now it may be the Horse may seeme coy to receiue this at the first because it is strange vnto him but doe you continue the action and cherish him for be you well assured after he hath once receiued the smell into the head hee will be as greedy to haue it as you are willing to giue it for there is nothing that delighteth an Horse more or more reioyceth his spirits than sweet sauors and odoriferous smells of which this perfume is one of the cheefest The effect which this perfume worketh is that it purgeth the Brayne of all filthy and corrupt matter and as you shall find by experience in the working it dissolues tough matter into water and brings it away in such abundance that it is sometimes ready to extinguish the fire as it falleth It is the greatest comforter of the Braine that can be and from thence sendeth such cheerefullnesse to the heart that it reioyceth the whole body There are diuers other perfumes which weake Farriers vse in this case as namely wet Hay or rotten Litter and putting a burning Coale therein giue the smoake to the Horse But this is a stinking sauor and no perfume and although it make the Horse snoare and neese and so you may imagin it auoydeth fowle matter yet it is nothing so but it offendeth both his Brayne and stomacke and by the noysomenesse of the smell dulleth and weakeneth the spirits and rather ingendereth infection than any way abateth infirmitie for from rottennesse there can but rottennesse proceed Next there is the Perfume of Brimstone either simple of it selfe and put vpon the fire or else compound with another body as Butter Oyle or the like and so thrust vp into the Horses nostrils This I must needes confesse is a sharpe Perfume and euacuateth much foule matter and dissolueth the thickest matter into thin water But yet you must know that there is in this Sulphure or Brimstone a certaine earthy and poysonous quallity which not onely doth offend the vitall parts but is also most malignant and iniurious both to the eyes of Man and Beast so that like Margery Goodcowe if it haue one vertue yet two vices attend it Then there are the Perfumes of the Stalkes of Onions Garlicke Leekes Mustard-seed and the like or the Perfume of the Fruits themselues either burnt or boyld Buâ— these are also great enemies to the eyes of an Horse so that I can by no meanes allow them especially foâ— this reason becase that generally all these inward sicknesses in Horseâ— doe most of all afflict the head anâ— eyes to which these things are enemies Also there is the Perfume oâ— Wheat Peniroyall Sage boyld tilâ— the Wheat burst and so put it into aâ— Bagge fastened about the Horseâ— nose This I must confesse is the best of many yet it is much toâ— weake for a strong infirmitie and the Penirâ—yall hath a bitternesse that is offensiue As these so I could nominate diuerse others but none so excellent as the first of all prescribed and therefore to it I referre you After your Horse hath been welâ— perfumed as beforesaid you shall let him rest for a quarter of an howre and then giue him such food as he wil eat either Bread or Oates of which how little soeuer he eateth it skils not for it is to be intended that his stomacke is now at the weakest After he is fed you shall tosse vp his Litter for you must know that he must stand vpon Litter Night and Day and then if need be giue him more Litter and but a locke or handfull of Hay that you may be
sure to haue him very fasting the next Morning and so let him rest all the Night without disturbance The next Morning early you shall take halfe an ounce of the powder of Diapente as the Greekes call it because of the number Fiue which Diapente is thus made compounded Take of round Aristoloch of Gentian of the best Mirrhe of Bâ—y-berries and of the purest shauings of Iuory of each one ounce beat all but the Myrrhe together in a Morter in a fine pouder and â—earse it through a fine Searse then likewise beate the Myrrâ—e by it selfe and fearce it also and then mixe all well together in a Morter and so keepe the pouder in a closse Gally-pot When you haue taken halfe an ounce of this powder you shall put it into a pint of the best Muskadine that you can get and brew them very well together in two pots tossing it well too and fro because otherwise the Myrrhe will clotter and lumpe together when it is well brewed after you haue made cleane your Stable and righted your Horses Cloathes you shall with an Horne giue him this Potion to drinke Then if he haue any small strength you shall mount his backe and walke vp and downe in some warme or sunnie place for an hower or thereabout then set him vp in the Stable warme and well littered and tying him to the Racke in his Bridle let him so stand and fast for another houre or more then offer him a little sweete Hay or any other meat that he will eat and so let him stand till betwixt twelue and one of the Clocke in the afternoone at which time you shall first rub his Head and Legges well as was formerly declared for the day before Then you shall perfume him as was beforesaid and both those workes finished you shall giue him a sweet Mash as was also shewed before and so let him rest till the Euening at which time you shall offer him either Oates or Bread but in little quantitie as handfull by handfull and be sure it be sweet cleane drest sifted and dusted and so let him rest till eight of the clocke at Night at which time you shal againe perfume him Then put sweet Hay in his Racke tosse vp his Litter and right his Cloathes but in any wise bare not his body then hauing made the Stable cleane you may leaue him to his rest for that night The next day being the third day you shall doe all things as you did the second day already rehearsed As first you shall giue him his Potion of Diapente and sweete wine then ayre him at Noone his Mash at Euening and Night his perfume with all other obseruations that were before declared The next day which is the fourth day there is no doubt with the helpe of God but you shall finde alteration and health approaching which you shall know by his stomacke by his more cheerefull countenance and by other outward gestures and finding that health is comming you may then forbeare to giue him any more Potions and onely attend him with good Food good dressing and moderate exercise neither shall you giue him any more Mashes for although they be wholsome in the extreamitie of sicknesse yet being any thing too much vsed they take away the Horses stomacke and brings him to a loathing of other meat and therefore in steade thereof you shall in the Morning after your Horse is well rubd and drest take a pottle of faire Water and heat it scalding hot then put it into a gallon or two of cleere cold Water that it may take away the extreame coldnesse thereof and then being scarcely lukewarme giue it the Horse to drinke You may if you please throw an handfull of Bran or an handfull of Wheat-Meale into the Water for it is good and not hurtfull As soone as the Horse hath drunke take his backe and ride him forth gently for an howre or two At Noone perfume him at Euening water him as you did in the Morning and ride him in like manner Feed him at vsuall howres as iâ— time of health and thus doe for three or foure dayes more then finding his strength increasing you may be degrees abate his Cloathes you may water him abroad at some cleare Riuer or Spring gallop him after his watering and draw euerie thing to the same custome as you did in best health Thus you see the manner how to cure an Horse that is sicke but not violently sicke and as it were at the very poynt and doore of death which Cure is this which followeth To cure any violent Sicknesse if the Horse be at the very pâ—ynt and doore of death IF you shall haue an Horse in this extreamitie and desperate case then the first thing you doe you shall open his Necke veine and let him bleed very well Then two howres after his bleeding take two Ounces of the Powder of Diâ—pente before rehearsed and beat it in a Morter with as much clarified pure life Hony as will bring it to a substantiall Treackle for this is an excellent Treackle and of the Italians called Horse Methridate and is the same which our Physitians call Thâ—â—iaca Diatessaron When this Confection is made you shall take a full halfe ounce thereof or more and dissolue it in a pint and an halfe of Muskadine and so giue it the Horse to drinke with an Horne Then if he haue so much abilitie of Body walke him vp and downe for halfe an howre or an howre either in some sunny place or some close Barne or emptie House then set him vp and let him fast full another howre At Noone giue him if you can get it a gallon or neere there about of the first running of the strongest Ale before it be put to Barme and when it is cleere strong and carryeth a Royall on the top But where this is not to be had then giue him a sweet Mash perfume him râ—b him cloathe him dyet and order him in all respects as was shewed you in the former Cure and thus you shall doe for three dayes together without all fayle and then no doubt but you shall see health approaching At the end of three dayes you shall forbeare all sorts of Mashes of both kindes and follow all the prescriptions before declared Now if during the Cure either through the violence of the Medicine or the foulnesse of the Horses Body you shall finde any hard Pustules or Swellings to ryse vp betweene the Horses Chaps and at the Root of the Tongue then you shall first clip away the hayre as close as may be then you shall take a Waxe Candle and therewith burne the swelling till you may scarifie the Skinne then take a peece of Leather somewhat larger then the swelling and hauing prickt it all ouer with the point of your Knife spread thereupon in some thicke manner your blacke Shoomakers-Waxe that is well seasoned and new then warming it ouer a few Coles lay it vpon the