before you put
the Honey to it, This Proportion of Herbs is to make six Gallons of
Decoction, so that you may take eight or nine Gallons of water. When you
have drawn out into your water, all the vertue of the Herbs, throw them
away, and take the clear Decoction (leaving the settlings) and when it is
Lukewarm, Dissolve your proportion of Honey in it. After it is well
dissolved and laved with strong Arms or woodden Instruments, like
Battle-doors or Scoops, boil it gently; till you have taken away all the
scum; then make an end of well boyling it, about an hour in all. Then pour
it into a wooden vessel, and let it stand till it be cold. Then pour the
clear through a Sieve of hair, ceasing pouring when you come to the foul
thick settling. Tun the clear into your vessel (without Barm) and stop it
up close, with the Spices in it, till you perceive by the hissing that it
begins to work. Then give it some little vent, else the Barrel would break.
When it is at the end of the working, stop it up close. She useth to make
it at the end of Summer, when she takes up her Honey, and begins to drink
it in Lent. But it will be better if you defer piercing it till next
Winter. When part of the Barrel is drunk, she botteleth the rest, which
maketh it quicker and better. You clear the Decoction from the Herbs by a
Hair-sieve.

SOME NOTES ABOUT HONEY

The Honey of dry open Countries, where there is much Wild-thyme, Rosemary,
and Flowers, is best. It is of three sorts, Virgin-honey, Life-honey, and
Stock-honey. The first is the best. The Life-honey next. The Virgin-honey
is of Bees, that swarmed the Spring before, and are taken up in Autumn; and
is made best by chusing the Whitest combs of the Hive, and then letting the
Honey run out of them lying upon a Sieve without pressing it, or breaking
of the Combs. The Life-honey is of the same Combs broken after the
Virgin-honey is run from it; The Merchants of Honey do use to mingle all
the sorts together. The first of a swarm is called Virgin-honey. That of
the next year, after the Swarm was hatched, is Life-honey. And ever after,
it is Honey of Old-stocks. Honey that is forced out of the Combs, will
always taste of Wax. Hampshire Honey is most esteemed at London. About
Bisleter there is excellent good. Some account Norfolk honey the best.

MR. CORSELLISES ANTWERP MEATH

To make good Meath, good white and thick Marsilian or Provence-honey is
best; and of that, to four Holland Pints (the Ho