The Complete Confectioner (1800)/Cordial Waters

CORDIAL WATERS, &c.

To make fine sweet Waters.

Take four pounds of damask rose water, of lavender water and spike water, three ounces each; the water of blossoms of lemons or oranges, the water of the blossoms of a myrtle tree, blossoms of jessamine and marjorum, of each half a pound; add of storax of jessamine and marjorum, of each half a pound; add of storax calamita and benjamin, a drachm each, and of musk, half a scruple; mingle them well together, and keep it in phials well stopped six days; then distil it in Balneum Mariæ, and keep the water in a glass vessel fifteen days in the sun, and it will be fit for use.

Another Way.

Take of fresh flowers of rosemary, two pounds, damask-rose water, two pounds, and a scruple of amber; put these into a glass phial well stopt for ten days; distil in in Balneum Mariæ, and keep it in a glass phial stopt very close.

Another Way.

Take four pounds of the above-mentioned water, two pounds of damask-rose water, and half a scruple of amber; mix these together, keep them close stopt in a phial and put it in the sun for a month, and it will be fit for use.

Another Way.

Take four pounds of damask-rose water, with six ounces of lavender water, three pounds of jessamine flowers, and half a scruple of fine musk; keep them ten days in a vessel close stopt, distil it in Balneum Mariæ, and it will be extremely good.

Another Way.

Take the peels of oranges and green citrons, of each half an ounce, a scruple of cloves, and six ounces of the flowers of spike; mix them all together with six pounds of damask-rose water, let it stand in a vessel covered for the space of ten days, distil it in Balneum Mariæ, and it will be exceedingly good.

Another Way.

Take two pounds of damask-rose leaves, half a scruple of good amber, and beat them together; set it upon hot embers two or three days, and steep them ten days in ten pounds of damask-rose water; then distil it, and let it stand in the sun fifteen days.

Another Way.

Take sweet marjorum, lavender, rosemary muscovy, maudillon balon, fine walnut leaves, damask roses, and pinks, of each a like quantity, and sufficient to fill the still; then take of the best orange and damask rose powder, and storax, each two ounces; strew one or two handfuls of the powder upon your herbs, and distil them with a slow fire; tie a little musk in a piece of lawn, and hang it in the glass your water drops into; when it is all distilled, take out the cake, and mix them with the powders that are left; lay them among your clothes, or with sweet oils, and burn them for perfumes.

To perfume Roses.

Take damask-rose buds and cut off the whites; then take orange flower or rose water, wherein benjamin, storax, lignum rhodium, civet and musk have been steeped; dip some leaves therein, and stick a clove into every rose bud; dry them betwixt two papers, and they will fall asunder: this perfume will last seven years.

Another Way.

Take rose leaves cut off the whites, and sprinkle them with the aforesaid water, putting some powder of cloves among them, and when dry, put them up in bags to sweeten your clothes.

Another Way.

Take rose leaves, and as you putt them, lay them so that they touch not one another, turning them every day; when they are very dry them up in a wide mouthed glass, and tie them up close: roses thus dried will keep their perfect colour.

To make Orange Water.

Take the parings of forty oranges of the best sort, steep them in a gallon of sack three days, and distill the sack and peels together in a limbeck: if you wish to have it very strong, distil it in an ordinary rose-water still; put it into bottles, and drop in a little white sugar candy; divide the oranges and sack twice.

To make perfumed Water.

Take three handfuls of the tops of young lavender, and as much of the flowers of woodbine, full ripe and plucked from the stalks; then take as much orice root as two walnuts and an half, an orange peel dried, and as much calamus as one walnut, and beat them all together.

To make Rose Cake to burn for Perfume.

Take three ounces and an half of benjamin, steep it three or four days in damask-rose water, then of rose leaves half a pound, and beat them as small as for conserve, and put the benjamin into it, with half a quarter of an ounce of musk, and as much civet; beat them all together, and make them up in cakes; then put them between two rose leaves, lay them upon papers in a place where there is no fire, and turn them often into dry papers; when you use them, lay one on a coal, minding it is not too hot.

To make Hungary Water.

Take a quantity of rosemary flowers, and put them into a wide mouthed glass; put to them as much spirit of sack as will taste strong of the flowers, cork them close, and let them stand ten days at least, stirring frequently; then distil this water in a limbeck, and keep it for use.

To make Lavender Water.

This water may be made by putting a quart of the spirit of wine into the essence, and proceeding as with other waters.

To make Ratafia.

Take what quantity of brandy you chuse, putting to every gallon a quart of the best orange-flower water, and a quart of good French wine; the brandy must be very fine and of a good age; put in about four hundred apricot stones, and a pound and a quarter of white sugar-candy; crack the stones and put them, with the shells, into a bottle; stop it very close, seal it down, and put it in the sun for six weeks; take it in every night, observing to shake it well; let it settle, and rack it off when it is perfectly fine.

To make Plague Water.

Take rosa solis, agrimony, betony, scabius, centaury tops, scordium, balm, rue, wormwood, mugwort, celandine, rosemary, marigold leaves, brown sage, burnet, carduus, and dragons, of each a large handful; angelica, piony, tormentil, and elecampane roots, and liquorice, of each one ounce; cut the herbs, slice the roots, and put them all into an earthen pot; add to them a gallon of white wine, and a quart of brandy; let them steep two days close covered, then distil it in an ordinary still over a gentle fire, and sweeten it as you think proper.

Juniper Berries.

Take of the best juniper berries twelve ounces, proof spirits of wine three gallons, a sufficient quantity of water, and distil them; you may sweeten it with sugar. It is an excellent remedy for wind in the stomach and bowels, powerfully provokes urine, and is therefore a good diuretick in the gravel and jaundice; you may distil it a second time, only by adding the same quantity of berries.

To make Cardamum Water.

Take pimento, caraway and coriander seeds, and lemon peel, of each four ounces; proof spirits three gallons, and a sufficient quantity of water; distil it, and sweeten it with one pound and an half of sugar: this is a cheap and good cordial, and may be used in all cases where a stomachic cordial is necessary.

To make Nutmeg Water.

Take and bruise half a pound of nutmegs, an ounce of orange peel, spirits of wine rectified three gallons, and a sufficient quantity of water; distil and sweeten them with two pounds of loaf sugar. It is an excellent cephalic and stomachic cordial, it helps the memory and strengthens the eyesight.

To make Mint, Balm, or Pennyroyal Water.

Take four pounds of dried mint, (three pounds of any of the other herbs are sufficient) two gallons and an half of proof spirits, and three gallons of water; distil them, and sweeten the water with one pound and an half of sugar.

To make Walnut Water.

Take a peck of fine green walnuts, bruise them well in a large mortar, put them in a pan with a handful of balm bruised, put two quarts of good French brandy to them, cover them close, and let them lay three days; the next day distil them in a cold still: from this quantity draw three quarts, which you may do in a day.

Another Way.

Take a peck of walnuts in July and beat them small, put to them clove gillyflowers, poppy flowers, cowslip flowers dried, marigold flowers, sage flowers, and burrage flowers, of each two quarts; add to these, two ounces of mace well beat, two ounces of nutmegs bruised, and an ounce of cinnamon well beat; steep all these in a pot, with a gallon of brandy and two gallons of sack; let it stand twenty-four hours, and distil it off.

To make Surfeit Water.

Take scurvy-grass, brook-lime, water-cresses, Roman wormwood, rue, mint, balm, sage, and cleavers, of each one handful; green merery, two handfuls; poppies, if fresh, half a peck, if dry, a quarter of a peck; cochineal, six-pennyworth; saffron, six-pennyworth; aniseeds, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, of each an ounce; liquorice, two ounces; scraped figs split and raisins of the sun stoned, of each a pound, juniper berries, bruised nutmeg, beaten mace, and sweet fennel seeds bruised, of each an ounce, a few flowers of rosemary, marigold and sage; put all these into a large stone jar, and put to them three gallons of French brandy, cover it close, and let it stand near the fire for three weeks; stir it three times a week; be sure to keep it close stopped, and then strain it off; bottle your liquor, and pour on your ingredients a gallon more of French brandy; let it stand a week, stirring it once a day; then distil it in a cold still; and this will make a fine white surfeit water.

Another Way.

Take a gallon of brandy, half a pound of white sugar-candy beat small, one pound and an half of raisins of the sun stoned, a quarter of a pound of dates shred, a quarter of a pound of whole mace, with an ounce of nutmeg sliced, half an ounce of aniseeds, caraway seeds, and coriander seeds, half an ounce of cardimum bruised, and as many poppies as will colour it well; mix these all together, add a large sprig of angelica, rue, wormwood, spearmint, balm, rosemary, marigolds, sage, clove gillyflowers, burrage, cowslips, and rosemary flowers, of each a handful; let them stand nine days close stopped, then strain it through a jelly-bag, and bottle it up.

To make Milk Water.

Take wormwood, carduus, rue, and angelica, of each two handfuls; mint and balm, of each four handfuls; cut these a little, put them into a cold still, and add to them three quarts of milk, let your fire be quick till the still drops, and then slacken it: you may draw off two quarts; the first quart will keep all the year.

Another Way.

Take agrimony, endive, fumitory, balm, elder flowers, white nettles, water-cresses, bank-cresses, and sage, of each three handfuls; eyebright, brook-lime, and celendine, of each two handfuls; the roses of yellow dock, red madder, fennel, horse-radish, and liquorice, of each three ounces; raisins stoned, one pound; nutmegs sliced, winter bark, turmeric, and galingal, of each two drachms; caraway and fennel seeds three ounces; one gallon of milk; distill all with a gentle fire in one day: you may add one handful of May wormwood.

Another Way.

Take balm, mint, carduus, angelica, rue, rosemary, and wormwood, of each half a pound, and sweeten them; distill them with two gallons of milk just taken from the cow, in a limbeck, with an iron pot; put in with the herbs a quart of water, first heat it, then carefully pour in the milk all round on the herbs, by a pint at a time, till all be poured in; this must be done in an iron pot covered with the still head, and shut close; when it boils lower the fire a little.

Note.—Do not put quite the quantity of mint and wormwood, but as much of the balm and sweet meadow as will make up the quantity.

To make Citron Water.

Take eighteen ounces of the best lemon peel bruised, nine ounces of orange peel bruised, nutmegs bruised one quarter of a pound, and three gallons of proof spirits; macerate and distil them, sweeten the water with pounds of double refined sugar, and keep it for use.

Another Way.

Take the outward yellow rind of twelve lemons, and half an ounce of cardamom seed a little bruised; let these steep three days in the best French brandy, close stopt; in the mean time take of double refined sugar one pound and an half, and boil it with a pint and an half of spring water; boil it gently to a syrup, scum it, and when it is cold mix it with brandy, adding the juice of three lemons; let it run through a fair bag once or twice, till it is fine and clear; then put it into bottles.

Note.—Care must betaken that the brandy is free from adulteration, and the lemons savour not the least of sweetness, or are any ways musty.

To make Cinnamon Water.

Take two pounds of cinnamon and bruise it, half a pound of citron and orange peel, a quarter of an ounce of coriander seeds, steeped two days in three gallons of Malaga sack; distil them in a worm still, and sweeten it with sugar dissolved in red rose water.

To make Cardamum Water.

Take caraway seeds, coriander seeds, pimento, and lemon peel, of each four ounces; mix them with three gallons of proofs spirits, a gallon and a half of spring water; distil them, and sweeten the water with one pound and a half of sugar.

To make Clary Water.

Take a quart of burrage water, put it into an earthen jug, and fill it with two or three quarts of clary flowers fresh gathered; let it fuse an hour over the fire in a kettle of water; then take out the flowers, and put in as many fresh ones, and do so for six or seven times together; after which add to the water, two quarts of the best sack, a gallon of fresh flowers, and two pounds of white sugar-candy beat small; distil it off in a cold still, mix all the water together, and when it is distilled sweeten it to your taste with the finest sugar: this is a very wholesome water, and extremely pleasant tasted if corked well and kept close.

To make Lady Hewet's Water.

Take red sage, betony, spearmint, unset hyssop, setwel, thyme, balm, pennyroyal, celendine, water cresses, heart's ease, lavender, angelica, germander, calamita, tamarisk, coltsfoot, avens, valerian, saxifrage, pimpernel, vervain, parsley, rosemary, savory, scabius, agrimony, mother thyme, wild marjorum, Roman wormwood, carduus benedictus, pellitary of the wall-field daisies, with their flowers and leaves, of each of these herbs a handful; after they are picked and washed, add rue, yellow comfry-plantain, camomile, maiden hair, sweet marjorum, and dragons, of each a handful, before they are washed or picked; red rose leaves and cowslip flowers, half a peck each; rosemary flowers, a quarter of a peck; hartshorn two ounces, juniper berries one drachm, China roots one ounce; comfry roots slices, aniseeds, fennel seeds, caraway seeds, nutmegs, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, spikenard, parsley seeds, cloves, mace, and aromaticum, rosarum, of each three drachms; sassafras sliced half an ounce, elecampane roots, melliot flowers, calamus aromaticus, cardamums, lignum aloes, rhubarb sliced, thin galingal, veronica lodericum cubeb grains, of each two drachms; the cordial bezoar thirty grains, musk twenty-four grains, ambergris twenty grains, flour of coral two drachms, flour of amber one drachm, flower of pearl two drachms, four leaves of gold, two drachm, flower of pear two drachms, four leaves of gold, two drachms of saffron in a little bag, and one pound of white sugar-candy; wash the herbs and hang them in a cloth till dry; cut and put them into an earthen pot, and in the midst of the herbs put the seeds, spices and drugs, all being well bruised; then put thereto such a quantity of sherry sack as will cover them, and let them steep twenty-four hours; then distil it in a limbeck, and make two distillings of it, and from each draw three pints of water; mix all together, and put it into quart bottles; then dive the cordials into three parts, and put into each bottle an equal quantity; shake it often at the first, and the longer it is kept the better it will be.

To make Palsy Water.

Take sage, rosemary betony, burrage, and bugloss flowers, of each half a handful; lilies of the valley and cowslip flowers, of each four or five handfuls; steep them in the best spirit of sack, and add some balm, spike flowers, mother wort, bay leaves, orange leaves, and their flowers; then put in citron peel, piony seeds, cinnamon, nutmegs, cardamums, cubebs, mace, and yellow sanders, each half an ounce; lignum aloes one drachm; make all these into a powder, and add half a pound of jubabes with the stones taken out; then add pearl prepared, Smaragde's musk, and saffron, of each ten grains; ambergris one scruple; red roses dried one ounce, and as many lavender flowers stripped from their stalks, as will fill a gallon glass; steep all these a month, and distill them very carefully in a limbeck; after it is distilled, hang it in a bag with the following ingredients; pearl, Smaragde's musk, and saffron, of each ten grains; ambergris one scruple, red roses dried, red, and yellow sanders, of each one ounce; hang them in a white sarsnet bag in the water, close stopped.

Another Way.

Take the spirits of five gallons of the best old sherry sack distilled in a limbeck, add to it cowslip flowers, the flowers of burrage, bugloss, lilies of the valley, rosemary, sage, and betony, of each a handful; they must all be procured in their season, and put into some of the spirits aforesaid, in an open mouthed quart glass; let them remain in the spirits till you are ready to distill the waters, and carefully stopped up; take lavender flowers in their season, strip them from their stalks, and fill a gallon glass with them; pour to them the remainder of your spirits, and cork them close as before; let them stand in the sun six weeks, and put them with the rest of the flowers into the two glasses; then add balm, motherwort, spike flowers, bay and orange leaves, of each half an ounce; cut and put them to the former flowers and spirits, and distil them together in a limbeck, and make three runnings of it; first, a quart glass, which will be exceeding strong; then a pint glass, which will be almost as good; and then another pint, or as much as will run, for when it run weak, which may be known by its taste, and the colour being whiter, you will have drawn about that quantity; mix your runnings together, and take citron, or the yellow rind of a lemon, six drachms of spice seeds, cinnamon one ounce, nutmegs, mace, cardamums, and yellow sanders, of each half an ounce, and lignum aloes one drachm, make these into a gross powder, adding a few jujubes that are fresh, stoned, and cut small; put these ingredients into a large sarsnet bag and hang it in the water as aforesaid; take two drachms of prepared pearls, of ambergris, musk, and saffron, one scruple each; red roses dried one ounce; put these in a bag by themselves, and hang it in the spirits as the other; close it well, that no air gets in, and let it stand six weeks; take out the water, press the bags, dry, and keep the water, in narrow mouthed glasses, and stop it up.

The Use of this Water.

It is so strong and powerful that it cannot be taken without the assistance of some other thing; but when dropt on crumbs of bread or sugar, it must be taken the first thing in the morning, at four in the afternoon, and the last thing at night; you must not eat for an hour after you take it: it is very efficacious in all swoonings, weakness of heart, decayed spirits, palsies, apoplexies, and both to help and prevent a fit; it will also destroy all heaviness and coldness in the liver, restores lost appetite; and fortifies and surprisingiy strengthens the stomach.

To make another Water from the Ingredients of the first.

When the first Water has ran what is strong, there will remain a weaker sort at the bottom of the limbeck; take the herbs and flowers, press them, and put them into a gallon and an half of the best sherry, stop them close, and let them stand five Weeks; distil them, and let the liquor run as long as it remains strong; pour it into the glass where the sarsnet bags are, and let them remain in this second liquor six weeks, close stopped; then you may, use it as the former. It is good to bathe any part affected with weakness.

To make Plague Water.

Take the roots of angelica, dragon, maywort, mint, carduus, origany, winter savoury, broad thyme, rosemary, pimpernel, sage, coltsfoot, fumentory, scabius, burrage, saxafreg, betony, jarmander, and liverwort, of each a handful; the flowers of wormwood, suckery, hyssop, fennel, agrimony, cowslips, poppies, plantain, setfoil, bugloss, vocvain, maiden hair, motherwort, dill, cowage, golden rod, and gromwell, of each a handful; the seeds of hart's tongues, horehound, fennel, melolet, St. John wort, comfry, feather-few, red rose leaves, wood sorrel, pellitory of the wall, heartsease, sentory, and sead rink, of each a handful; the roots of gentian, dock, butter-bur, and piony, bay and juniper berries, of each a pound; nutmegs and cloves, an ounce each, and half an ounce of mace: pick the herbs and flowers, and shred them a little; cut the roots, bruise the berries, and pound the spice fine; take a peck of green walnuts, and chops them small; mix all these together, and lay them to steep in sack lees, or any white wine lees, or in good spirits, but wine lees are best; let them lie a week or ten days; stir them once a day with a stick, and keep them close covered; then distil them in a limbeck with a slow fire, and take care the still does not burn; the first, second, and third runnings are good, and some of the fourth; let them stand till they are cold, then put them together.

To make black Cherry Water.

Take six pounds of black cherries, and bruise them small; then put to them the tops of rosemary, sweet marjorum, spearmint, angelica, balm, and marigold flowers, of each a handful; dried violets one ounce; aniseeds and sweet fennel seeds, of each half an ounce, bruised; cut the herbs small, mix all together, and distill them off in a cold still.

Another Way.

Take two quarts of strong claret, and four pounds of black cherries full ripe, beat them and put them to the wine, with angelica, balm, and carduus, of each a handful, half as much mint and as many rosemary flowers as you can hold in both your hands; three handfuls of clove gillyflowers, two ounces of cinnamon cut small, and one ounce of nutmegs; put all these into a deep pot, let them be well stirred together, then cover it so close that no air can get in, let it stand one day and a night, then put it into the still, which must also be stopped close, and draw off as much as runs good, sweeten it with sugar-candy to your taste.

To make a rich Cherry Cordial.

Take a stone pot that has a broad bottom and a narrow top, and lay a row of black cherries and a row of fine powdered sugar, do this till your pot is full; measure your pot, and for every gallon it holds, put a quarter of a pint of spirit of wine; pick the cherries clean from soil and stalks, but do not wash them; when you have thus filled your pot, stop it with a cork, and tie first a bladder, then a leather over it; and if it is not close enough, pith it, and bury it in the earth six months, or longer; then strain it out, and keep it close stopped up for use.

To make Lady Allen's Water.

Take balm, rosemary, sage, carduus, wormwood, dragons, scordium, mugwort, scabius, tormentil roots and leaves, angelica roots and leaves, betony flowers and leaves, centaury tops, pimpernel, wood or other sorrel, rue, agrimony, and rosa solis, of each half a pound; liquorice four ounces, and elecampane roots two ounces; wash the herbs, slice the roots, put all in three gallons of the best white wine, and let them stand close covered two days and nights, stirring them morning and evening; then take out some of the herbs, and squeeze them lightly with your hands into the still; fill the still with the herbs and wine, let them stand twelve hours in a cold still, and distil them through a limbeck till the herbs and wine are out; mix the water of each still together, sweeten it, keeping some unsweetened as a preservative to women in illness.

To make all Sorts of Herb Waters.

Gather the herbs on a very fine clear day, chop them well, and put them in an earthen pan; wash them with sack; or if, you do not chuse that expence, wash them, with water; let them stand twenty-four hours, distil them in a cold still over a gentle fire, and you may put a piece of white sugar-candy into the bottom for it to drop on.

To make Orange Mint Water.

Take a still full of orange mint, distil it in a cold still, and put fresh orange mint into the water; distil it again, and put your bottles into the still unstopped: a spoonful of this water put into a glass of spring water, will perfume it as well as the orange flower water.

To make Wormwood Water.

Take the outward rinds of a pound and a half of lemons, one pound of orange peels, tops of dried wormwood and winter cinnamon, of each half a pound; flowers of camomile four ounces; little cardamums not husked; cloves, cubebs, ana camels' hay, of each one ounce; cinnamon, nutmegs, caraway seeds, of each two ounces; spirits of wine six quarts, spring water four gallons and a half; infuse them all together three or four days, distil them in a Balneum Mariæ, and it will prove an excellent stomachic cordial.

To make simple Wormwood Water.

Take one pound of dried wormwood, four ounces of caraway seeds bruised, and three gallons of spirits of wine; infuse and distil them in one pound and an half of sugar, and bottle it for use.

To make Snail Water.

Take comfry and suckory roots, of each four ounces; liquorice three ounces; leaves of harts tongue, plantain, ground ivy, red nettles, yarrow, brooklime, water cresses, dandelion, and agrimony, of each two large handfuls; gather the herbs in dry weather, do not wash them, but wipe them with a clean cloth; then take five hundred snails cleaned from their shells, but not scoured; a pint of the whites of eggs beat up to a water; four nutmegs grossly beat, and the yellow rind of one lemon and one orange; bruise all the roots and herbs, and put them with the other ingredients in a gallon of new milk; and a pint of Canary wine; let them stand close covered eight and forty hours; distil them in a common still over a gentle fire; it will keep good a year, and must be made in spring or autumn; for three months only stop the bottles with paper, then cork them: when you use this water, put to it an equal quantity of milk.

To make compound Parsley Water.

Take of parsley roots four ounces; fresh horseradish root and juniper berries, of each three ounces; the tops of St. John's wort, biting arsmart, and elder flowers, of each two ounces; the seeds of wild carrots, sweet fennel, and parsley, of each one ounce and an half; mix these ingredients together, bruise them, and add thereto two gallons of French brandy, and two gallons of soft water; let them steep in the still three or four days, and draw it off: this is an excellent remedy for the gravel.

To make compound Horse-radish Water.

Take the leaves of two sorts of scurvy grass, fresh gathered in the spring, of each six ounces; add four ounces of brooklime and water cresses, horse-radish two pounds, fresh arum root six ounces, winter bark and nutmeg, of each four ounces, dried lemon peel two ounces, and of French brandy two quarts, and draw all off by distillation: this water is good in dropsical and scorbutic cases.

To make compound Piony Water.

Take eighteen piony roots, fresh gathered; six ounces of bitter almonds; the leaves of rosemary, rue, wild thyme, and flowers of lavender dried, of each three ounces; cinnamon, cubebs, angelica seed, coriander seed, caraway seed, and aniseed, of each half an ounce; one gallon of rectified spirits of wine, with five gallons of soft water, and draw off three gallons by distillation: this is good in all nervous disorders.

To make compound Scordium Water.

Take citrons, sorrel, goats' rue, and scordium of each one pound and London treacle two ounces; distil them in a limbeck, with two quarts of spirits of wine, and a sufficient quantity of water; of this you may draw off one gallon.

To make Aniseed Water.

Take twelve ounces of aniseeds, three gallons of proof spirits, one gallon and an half of spring water; infuse them all night in a still, and with a gentle heat draw off what runs smooth and clear; sweeten it with two pounds of brown sugar, and if you would have it very fine, distil it again, and add some more aniseeds.

To make Caraway Water.

Take three gallons of proof spirits, and half a gallon of water; add to them half a pound of caraway seeds bruised, distill and sweeten the juice with a pound and an half of brown sugar.

To make Orange or Lemon Water.

Put six quarts of brandy and one quart of sack to the outer rinds of fifty oranges or lemons, and let them steep in it one night; the next day distil them in a cold still; draw it off till you find it begins to taste sour; sweeten it to your taste with double refined sugar, and mix the first, second and third runnings together: if it be lemon peel, it should be performed with two grains of ambergris, and one of musk; grind them fine, tie them in a rag, and let it hang five or six days in each bottle; or you may put to them three or four drops of the tincture of ambergris: be sure to cork it well.

Another Way.

Take any quantity of sack, and to every two quarts add twelve oranges, chop and steep them twelve hours; distil them in a glass still, sweeten it with double refined sugar dissolved in red rose water; put a handful of angelica into the still with the oranges.

To make Hysterical Water.

Take betony, roots of lovage, and seeds of wild parsnips of each two ounces; roots of single piony four ounces, of misletoe of the oak three ounces, myrrh a quarter of an ounce, and caster half an ounce; beat all these together, and add to them a quarter of a pound of dried mill-pede; pour on these three quarts of mugwort water, and two quarts of brandy; let them stand in a close vessel eight days; then distil it in a cold still passed up: you may draw off nine pints of water, and sweeten it to your taste; mix all together and bottle it up.

To make Treacle Water.

Take the juice of green walnuts, four pounds of rue; carduus, marigold, and balm, of each three pounds; roots of butter-bur half a pound; roots of burdock one pound; angelica and mastic-wort, of each half a pound; leaves of scordium six handfuls; Venice treacle and mithridates, of each half a pound; old Canary wine two pounds, white wine vinegar six pounds, juice of lemon six pounds; and distil this in an alembic.

To make red Rose-bud Water.

Wet your roses in fair water; four gallons of roses will take near two gallons of water; distil them in a cold still; then take the same distilled water, put into it as many fresh roses as it will wet, and distil them again.

To make Poppy Water.

Take two gallons of very good brandy and a peck of poppies, put them together in a wide mouthed glass, and let them stand forty-eight hours; then strain the poppies out; take a pound of raisins of the sun and stone them; coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and liquorice sliced, of each an ounce; bruise them all together, put them into the brandy, with a pound of good powder sugar, and let them stand four or eight weeks, shaking it every day; then strain it off, and bottle it close up for use.

To make Peppermint Water.

Gather your peppermint when it is full grown, and before it seeds; cut it in short lengths, fill your still with it, and cover it with water; then make a good fire under it, and when it is near boiling, and the still begins to drop, if your fire is too hot draw a little from under it, to keep it from boiling over, or your water will be muddy; the slower your still drops, the clearer and stronger your water will be, but do not spend it too far; bottle it the next day, let it stand three or four days to take off the fiery taste of the still; then cork it well, and it will keep a long time.