over it with a wet cloth, and
hold it under the velvet. The vapour arising from the wet cloth will
raise the pile of the velvet, with the assistance of a whisk gently
passed over it. To remove spots and stains in velvet, bruise some of the
plant called soapwort, strain out the juice, and add to it a small
quantity of black soap. Wash the stain with this liquor, and repeat it
several times after it has been allowed to dry. To take wax out of
velvet, rub it frequently with hot toasted bread.

VENISON. If it be young and good, the fat of the venison will be clear,
bright, and thick, and the cleft part smooth and close: but if the cleft
is wide and tough, it is old. To judge of its sweetness, run a very
sharp narrow knife into the shoulder or haunch, and the meat will be
known by the scent. Few people like it when it is very high.

VENISON PASTY. To prepare venison for pasty, take out all the bones,
beat and season the meat, and lay it into a stone jar in large pieces.
Pour over it some plain drawn beef gravy, not very strong; lay the bones
on the top, and set the jar in a water bath, or saucepan of water over
the fire, and let it simmer three or four hours. The next day, when
quite cold, remove the cake of fat, and lay the meat in handsome pieces
on the dish. If not sufficiently seasoned, add more pepper, salt, or
pimento. Put in some of the gravy, and keep the remainder for the time
of serving. When the venison is thus prepared, it will not require so
much time to bake, or such a very thick crust as usual, and by which the
under part is seldom done through. A shoulder of venison makes a good
pasty, and if there be a deficiency of fat, it must be supplied from a
good loin of mutton, steeped twenty-four hours in equal parts of rape,
vinegar, and port. The shoulder being sinewy, it will be of advantage to
rub it well with sugar for two or three days; and when to be used, clear
it perfectly from the sugar and the wine with a dry cloth. A mistake
used to prevail, that venison could not be baked too much; but three or
four hours in a slow oven will be sufficient to make it tender, and the
flavour will be preserved. Whether it be a shoulder or a side of
venison, the meat must be cut in pieces, and laid with fat between, that
it may be proportioned to each person, without breaking up the pasty to
find it. Lay some pepper and salt at the bottom of the dish, and some
butter; then the meat nicely packed, that it may be sufficien