CHAP. I. How Women with Child are to order them­selves that they may be delivered of fair and handsom Children.

INtending to furnish you (lovely Ladies) with such Prescriptions as most neerly con­cern the beautifying of the Body; it will be requisite to begin with some special and singular means, how to help the comely formation, of the tender Embryo, while it is yet in Natures Elaboratory, the Wombe; that so it may be e­duced from the confused Chaos of the lesser world, not a mishapen or monstrous lump, but a sparkling luminary, and a piece that Nature may take for a pattern, when she attempts the composure of a person she intends to boast of.

Amongst those several things which tend to this exact compleating of the Foetus, there is [Page 8]nothing more signally concurrs than the imagi­nation of the breeding Mother. This is that busie Architectrix of the brain, which contrives such machinations, and acts such miracles, that it is a miracle almost to find any that believe them. For, let but the great-bellyed Mother exercise moderately, and use ordinary whol­some, diet, there will need nothing more to have Children so fair, that you may by their own splendor be lighted to view their perfections; then the regular ordering of the fancy: which is superintendent to the growing infant, and the Mothers active emissary, that with all obse­quiousness executes her wishes on the tender Babe in the Wombe. For finding the soft and plyant Faetus pinion'd in a membranious mantle, and lying helplesly drowsie in Natures cradle, it freely without resistance makes impression as the Mother directs it. So that she by the help of this invisible Agent usually works & adorns the Infant with those features which her mind most runs upon, and she her self affects.

He that considers the various relations that several Authors make of the Phantasies imperi­ous Tyranny over the growing Embryo, will with small reluctancy admit its Plasticks power in a comely composure. Helmont makes re­lation of a Taylors Wife, who being big with Child, and seeing before her doors a duell be­twixt [Page 9]two Souldiers, one whereof lost his hand in the combate; fell presently (being frighted with the sight) into labour, and was delivered of a Daughter with one hand, the other arm bleeding, and having the hand cut off at the same place with the maimed Souldier. The same Author gives us another story altogether as strange, of a Merchants Wise at Antwerp, and a familiar acquaintance of his, who some weeks before the time of her Delivery, hearing that there were thirteen condemned persons to be beheaded, was desirous to see them executed, and to that purpose gets to a friends house in the Market-place, where the windows look'd full out upon the Scaffolds; but scarce had she seen the first suffer, when she cried out for a Midwife, and was delivered of a lovely Boy, that had his head newly parted from his shoulders. Other Writers also give us the like stories. Gassendus in his Philosophy, tells us of one great with Child, that being set upon by a company of bloody Villains, and stab'd in several parts of her body, suddenly after died, and the Child that was cut out of her Womb, had so many blue spots like broises in his body, as the Mother had stabbs, and in the very same parts, wherein she was wounded. Munster likewise makes mention of a Woman with Child, that standing whispering with another, and a third coming softly behind, [Page 10]and knocking their foreheads together, was soon after delivered of Twins, with their foreheads joyned together. Besides all this, there are yet more stupendious actions, which may be recko­ned as the products of a working Phancie, That Alcippe (in Pliny) should be delivered of an Ele­phant: that a Woman in Aristotle, should be Mother to a Child with a Rams-head: or, that Plutarcks Matron, expecting a Son, should be sa­luted with an ugly Centaure, are effects which the most rational heads generally refer to the imagination.

Now if Phansie or the Imaginative power can transpose the parts of the Foetus and make it a monster; if it can turn executioner, and set the little Infants soul free from the prison of its bo­dy, while its body is still prisoner to the womb; why may it not as well act the Painter, and have the disposing of Natures colours, to draw as it pleaseth, ravishing, or else less inticing features? Certainly, if we confider what Galen relates of a woman who brought forth a Son not like the Father, who was much deformed, but resem­bling a comely picture hanging in her Chamber, whereon he wished her to think earnestly when she embraced her Husband: Or if we call to mind how some by often looking on a Black-a-moores picture, have been delivered of a Child clouded with Natures sooty mask, and wrapt [Page 11]in the sable mantle of a swarthy skin; we cannot but be convinced, that the Infant comes into the world apparel'd with those features, which the Phancy, that commanding Empress of the Mo­thers brain, dispences from her own ward­robe.

So that if ye desire (Ladies) to have Chil­dren, whose beauty shall ecclipse all other ob­jects, and be an attracting magnet to neighbour­ring eyes, propose to your Phancies such pat­terns as may excite both your own, and others admiration; whether it be some person who monopolizes perfections, and is the royal exche­quer of unparallel'd beauty, or some lively pen­cil'd picture of a most absolute proportion of parts, temper of colours, and vivacity of as­pect. For some such exquisite pattern being once made choice of, and in time of conception, or else of being with child, often thought up­on and beheld with intensness, will by little and little imprint in the mind a noble Idea of the same perfections, which the active Phancie soon apprehends as a proposed pattern, to work thereby a parallel piece; and therefore with an obsequious celerity informs the appetite, which immediately summons the subtle humors and the most spirituous parts of the blood, as inferiour officers, and they receive an impression of this Idea, which they carry in triumph through [Page 12]all the coasts of the microcosme, till they arrive at those parts whereto they were designed by the direction of their Empress Phancy: Who thinking no repository too secure for so fair a species, commands those agile emissaries to trea­sure it up in the seed, which is the most new and durable aedifice in all its dominions, and like­ly to last when all the rest shall lye buried in the dust of their final ruines, Or if she be intrust­ed with this Idea, in the time of the Mothers being great, she immediately sends those active agents with it to the Womb, that mint of the microcosme, to have it stampt by the Plastick faculty on the growing Foetus, that so it may be in a capacity to act its princely part on the theatre of the world, where it may attract the eyes of future admirers, and with a radiant lustre vye with its Prototype.

But some of you perhaps may be so scrupu­lous as to enquire, that seeing the Phancie is meerly a cognoscitive faculty, and Women usu­ally fix their thoughts on several and various objects during the times of Conception and Gravidation; how it comes to pass that we find not the Infant subject to more numerous mutations, according to the variety of impressi­ons made by sundry species on the imagination? The Reply to this will be easie, if we consider, that if the matter were more seriously pondred, [Page 13]we should not find the Imagination so seldome active as generally is supposed: for it is very probable that the resemblance of every child, whether with the father, mother or any other person, hath some near dependance on some operation or other of the mothers Phantasy; ac­cording as her mind was with more intensness fixt upon such or such a party. But yet again it is not every act of the phantasy, which is able to affect the formative power residing in the womb; but only that which is strong, and at­tended with the powerfull commotion of the spirits and humours in the body. So that there being not many acts of the phantasy concomita­ted with the energie of such commotions, 'tis no wonder that infants signally affected with the mothers phantasy are so few. Those phantasies onely induce such agitations of the humours & spirits as are requisite to affect the Foetus, which are followed by violent passions of a surprising feare or an earnest & longing desire: for these are the most turbulent and impetuous passions that the mind is subject to; which exciting the te­nuious humours and spirits in all parts of the body, cause both in the mother and infant remarkable alterations.

Take but an instance or two of the effects of both these unruly passions. Baptista Porta in his natural magick, tels us of a woman who a­morously [Page 14]affecting a Marble statue, dead indeed in it self, but for her lust too lively, by frequent looking on it, and continuall keeping of it in her mind, brought forth a sonne plumpe, pale, of a glittering colour and in every thing repre­senting the features of the too much admired marble. Ficinus reports for a truth of a woman that she brought forth a daughter which had a wel proportioned body, but for a head onely two Scallop-shels joyned to the shoulders, which she opened at pleasure to receive her meat and lived so eleven yeares; and that which occasioned the production of this monster, was, as he says, the mothers longing for Scallops whilst she was with child and not being able after great industrie to get any to satisfie her im­patient desires. So Delrio in his magical disqui­sitions, gives us a relation of a noble Lady that was nurse to a very beautifull prince then Dol­phin of France, whom she loved so entirely that she caused his effigies to be drawn, and carried it about with her, scarce induring it out of her sight; whereon it hapned that she became mo­ther to a child so like the young Prince, that the generality of people knew no other distin­ction save that of their cloaths. And as for the passion of fear, Levinus Lemnius hath the histo­ry of an unhappy wagge that supprising a great bellied woman with the sight of a boys picture [Page 15]with a monstrous great head, caused her to bring forth a child of the same mishapen mag­nitude.

These instances are sufficient to demonstrate that the phansie when attended with either of those passions, hath power to alter the confirma­tion and complexion of the yeelding foetus; and that to have handsome and beautifull children there is little else required, then the avoiding all monstrous objects and stories which may distract the phansie; and in their stead, the pro­posing of some amiable object, from whence the phantasie affecting it with a passionate tender­nesse, may coppy out an Idea of perfect beauty to communicate to the plastick facultie; whose chiefest care is to erect a stately structure out of the rude masse that lyes so confus'd within the womb.

This is the opinion of severall antient and excellent Physitians as Hippocrat. in his book of Superfoetation. Galen in the 14. cap. of his book concerning Theriacle to Piso. And Laurentius in his Anatomicall Contraversies. l. 8. q. 10. of Wierus. Codronchus. But enough of these. I ha­sten in the next chapter to give directions what course of life is requisite that those lead, who would purchase that they have not, or else pre­serve that beauty they have alreadie.

CHAP. II. What course of life may probably be the best either to procure Beauty or preserve it.

COurse of life here mentioned, is intended as a generall notion, comprehending all those things which Physitians usually terme res non naturales: so that it almost takes in what­soever may cause a sensible alteration in the body, as the external aire, sleeping and watching, repose or exercise, evacuation or retention of the excrements, passions or perturbations of the mind, and lastly meats or drinks whether medicinall or alimentary. For each of these as we shall briefly shew do signally affect both body and beauty too.

First then the aire is that liquid ocean, where­in each Pilgrim of us all must traffique if we in­tend to make thriving husbands, or gaine the least addition to the too soon wasted number of our fleeting days: It is our more gentle Aeolus, that breaths forth prosperous gales into the expanded lobes of our lungs, to land us safe­ly at the silver top't Alps of hoary haires. But seldome is it that it keeps such an evennesse in in its blasts, as not to cause some sensible varia­tion, [Page 17]in our beauty that Loadstone of de­sire: For it variously affects the body both within and without. Inwardly, as it is suckt into the lungs, those panting bel­lows, so naturally contrived to keep the bosie furnace of the heart boiling; then it communicates its qualities to the very fountain of life; next to the blood, and so universally to the whole body. Out­wardly, as it beats continually upon the superficiall skin, and causes roughnesse, chaps and sundry other accidents accor­ding to its severall constitution. So that great care is to be taken to preserve the body from the impressions of an ill dispo­sed aire, whether too moist, or too dry, too hot or too cold. For an aire too moist will soon wash off natures paint; and if ladies live too long in foggs, it is the readie way to staine their damask skins. The lillies and roses of the cheeks will fade rather then flowrish if too much water'd: and Venus her self though borne in Neptunes watery pallace would never be nurst there, fearing the tender plants of beauty would never thrive in that liquid soile. Wherefore I can scarce approve the practice of some Ladies, who to allay the petty exorbitancie of a ruddie colour, in [Page 18]the evenings wherein damp mists and dews fall, expose their naked breasts and faces to Cynthia's moistening rays, as if the moon (because pale her self) would make them so; or her spitting in the face were to scoure it. Certainly beauty never con­sents that Laundresse should whiten her livery, who uses no other sope then her own foggie excrements. Such practises, I confesse, since they occasion rheums, catarrhs, and distillations may make the face white or pallid but never faire or handsome. So on the contrarie an aire too dry doth so wrinkle and chap the skin our native shirt, that nature or art can scarce ever work it with a beautiful em­broidery. Next a bleake and piercing aire is a mortall enemy to a lovely complexion; it makes the skin rough, constipates the pores and hinders the exhalation of the excrements, and these lying betwixt the skin and the flesh do exceedingly vitiate the complexion, making it livid and dull. So that those Ladies are to be reproved that goe with their breasts bare and naked in the midst of frost and snow. Those swell­ing mounts where Cupid makes his nest, should have a warmer covering then a snowie fleece, for feare those milkie foun­taines [Page 19]may be curdled with a chilly cold, and he forc'd to shift for fairer lodgings. Neither is the contrary extream of heat lesse prejudiciall to a faire and tender skin; it tempts the blood to the externall parts, and there tanns it into a wainscot hew: Be carefull Ladies then, not to ex­pose your beauty to a parching heat, for feare you soon bewaile your rash attempt in the sable vaile of a sootie skin. There­fore if it be in your power to choose an aire to better your complexions, make choice of a seat somewhat raised that it be not exposed to the inconveniences of fogs and mists, which too frequently pester the lower habitations; let it be sheltered round with pleasant woods and groves which may fence you from the blew im­pressions of a pinching Boreas, and in the Summer secure you that Sol with his a­morous beames shall not kiss your beauty away. But in this election of aires regard is to be had to the constitution of the person; for those whose cheeks are tin­ctur'd with a deeper blush, ought to choose a cooler; and those whose lillie features seem wan and pallid, a hotter place; yet with this caution, that they expose themselves to no heat or cold but what is [Page 20]moderate; for extremity of cold too vio­lently repels the blood inward and excesse of heat draws it too much out.

In the next place moderation either in sleeping or waking conduces much to the preservation of a comely face. Excessive sleep makes the body dull and heavie, the colour pale, swarthie and livid; for it is easie to [...] know Morpheus's sluggish vo­taries by those sullied impressions his leaden heels leave in their fleshie robes. So on the other side watching over much spends the spirits, exceedingly dries the moisture of the body; and if you make it a frequent custome to extend it to unusuall periods, it will scarce leave ye, Ladies, blood enough to crimson your cheeks with a vermilion blush for the losse of your beauty.

What hath been said of sleeping and watching may rationally be interpreted of repose and exercise: for repose is but a waking sleep and exercise a more active watching. If any love their ease too much they soon contract the rust of idlenesse, which will surely ironmould the finest skin; and they that exercise immoderately; quickly were out beauties silken livery; and when once ye come Ladies to weare deformities home spun garments, you are [Page 21]quite broke for beauties; for none will think you worth the looking after, and your whole stock of features will hardly pro­cure any to lend you an eye.

How much evacuation or retention of the excrements either promote or hinder a good complexion, you will easily imagine if you consider that the reaking entrails are the bodies sinke, which, if it be not duely cleans'd and scour'd, affects the face with such noisome exhalations that the squea­mish Queen of love will never be wonne upon to make it her court of residence.

The perturbations and unruly possions of the mind do offer greater violence to the features then any thing else; their impe­tuous motions raise an earthquake in the lesser world which ruines the stately stru­cture of Cupids palace. Griefe is the moth of Beauty, it frets out the characters of natures fairest Orthography; wearing off those ruddie and carnation flourishes which her skilfull pencill drew, it makes the face a discolourable blank; and renders those who over much indulge it, so wan­nish and pale, that they seem but walking shrouds to carry themselves to their own shadie sepulchers. Anger is beauties burning feaver, which fieres the furnace of the [Page 22]heart with too scortching flames that bake the exteriour features into a brownbread swarthinesse: and it would be strange, should such course fare ever feast specta­tors eyes. Feare congeals the blood and baths the body in a chilly sweat, which often enlivens the haire to an active though frightfull erection, but never clears the skin: nay it does your beautie more mischiefe then if you should intoxicate your selves with Circe's bewitching potion: for the worst this could do, would be to make ye handsome beasts; but feare causes a more frightfull metamorphosis and makes ye foule deformed women. Lastly melancholy is a sullen humoursome spirit that raises tempests in the very center of the body; which overcloud the face with griefe, and wrinkle the forehead before Thirty: it makes that Ladie whom it once over­comes, to be out of love with the whole world and beauty to be out of love with her: while she thinks her selfe weary of other mens eyes, other men finding little worth their sight, are as weary of viewing her: they soon perceive that beauty trans­planting her maiden lillies and ruddie roses to some more courted Elysium; in­tends [Page 23]that face shall lye fallow, which me­lancholy frowns wrinkle into uneven fur­rows. What hath thus particularly been said of some perturbations of the mind, may be understood of all in general; so that all passions whatever, as they are usu­ally call'd the Souls burning feaver, be­cause they make it ferment it self into a pernicious excess; so may they fitly be named the Beauties wasting consumption, since they leave no marks of that excellent comeliness, which useth to work astonish­ment in all beholders, but make the for­mer good looks give place to a sallow complexion.

Lastly, Meats and Drinks have a con­trouling power over the features, and pro­portionable lineaments of a taking face, and give great occasions towards the ma­king or marring a beauty: For by eating and drinking, the humors, and more solid parts of the body, which are in a suc­cessive emanation, are nourished and kept in continual repair. Certainly, if we may believe Physitians, the moderate use of healthful dyet corroborates the innate heat, makes the external members well coloured, and lively to perform those acti­ons, for which Nature hath intended [Page 24]them. On the contrary, an intemperate life, abandon'd indifferently to all sorts of meats, without distinction either of time or measure, stifles the internal heat, breeds corrupted blood, from whence proceed obstructions of the more noble parts, a vitiated mass of malignant humors, which cause a discoloured, pale and tawny visage, stinking breath, rotten teeth, running eyes, and infinite other inconveniencies: Wherefore, let those that would be beau­ties favourites, not study too much kitchin Philosophy, nor busie their thoughts a­bout too stately furnishing their sumptu­ous Tables, let them have a care of making too bold with Wine; if Bacchus set the face with his fiery carbuncles, and pitch his standard there, beauties vermilion He­rauldry will soon be expung'd. Yet, on the other side, I would not have any per­son bring her self down to the lowest Gam­ut of abstinence, for this will spoyl the harmony of a well tun'd face, as much as if the guts were screw'd up to an E [...]la òf intemperance. There is but little differ­ence in either extream; excessive gluttony makes a Lady such a mountain of greasie mummy, that she needs no other pomatum for her bloated checks, than the nasty [Page 25] sweat that dribbles from her brow: And unusual abstinence makes the body like a thin thatch'd Tenement, that hath out­stood the hopes of having fairer guests than grunting Swine; the skin represents some white earth plaistering, and the bones so many uneven-laid laths to bear it out. Yet is it the practice of many that are neat and well proportioned enough, fearing they might grow too big and grosse, to meagre themselves by long and tedious fastings; and when they eat, to ch [...]se meats of bad concoction, as herbs, fruits, sallads, vinegar, that so by a hard and course dyet, they might become neat and slender; when all they do is nothing else but to extenuate and discolour the body by so rude an abstinence. It were better if such would follow the counsel of Physitians, to eat often and little, and that meat of good nourishment; to eat only once a day, or eating twice, to rise from Table only half satisfied, and so they might become of a mean and graceful ha­bitude; without detriment either to health or beauty. I have hitherto spoken of Meats and Drinks that are Alimentary; there are yet others that are Medicinal, and that equally with these advance the [Page 26]beauty. For since it is a thing very diffi­cult, if not impossible, to live alwayes in such an Air as our temperament and con­stitution require, and that many unwel­come emergencies neither suffer us long to be without care and vexation, nor to keep an exact dyet, or to take it in such a mediocrity and oppertune time as is requi­site to the breeding of good blood; since (I say) it is a thing so troublesome con­tinually to govern our selves by the rules and measure of an exact method, it will be expedient to anticipate that alteration or corruption, which may happen amongst the humours of the body, (through ex­cess, or any other misdemeanour in our course of life,) by some means or other, which hath power to expel those vitious qualities, which may cause an ill com­plexion; that so the colour may be kept cleer and lively, the skin smooth and subtle. The last means to effect this, will be in due time to purge the body with some quick and gentle medicament, as Cassia, Manna, syrup of Violets, white Roses or the like; if you would clear the body of superfluous humors after too much in­dulging your pallat, you may take half a dram of pillulae Ruffi going to bed, and [Page 27]the next day you shall have all the reliques of your late intemperance, swept out in three or four stooles. Vinegar of Squills, if taken in a morning for several times to­gether, and you exercise moderately after it, beautifies the body with a very fresh and lively colour. The same effects have the Trochisks of red Roses, if you carry them about you and take now and then one at your pleasure. The frequent use of Clysters is not without reason much commended, for that they do not only make the body soluble and purge the pec­cant humors, but also divert those fumes and vapors which ascending to the head alter much the beauty of the face. Syrup of Fumitory, Agrimony, Cichorie, open ob­structions, and correct the intemperature of the liver; and for this reason are of singular use for clearing the complecti­on.

It would not be amiss, if I here put you in mind, to keep the body and all its parts at ease, without straitning them or hin­dring their free motion and repose: For to girt the body too close, to bind the arms or legs too hard, draws the blood too much from the face, and makes it descend to the more inferiour parts. Your [Page 28]own observation may satisfie you in this particular, for you may frequently perceive those persons become pale and loose their complexion, who to have a small and slen­der body, girt themselves too close; or to have a handsome leg and foot, use stock­ings and shoes much too streight.

When the humors apt to corrupt are expel'd and the blood purified, in the place of the vitious, you are to supply the body with good humors, by food of light concoction and good nourishment, as Po­nado's, well seasoned Broths, and the like. But before you eat, rise something early, and exercise moderately, that so you may help Nature to disperse those humors which were heap'd together during sleep, and make an equal distribution of the ali­ment, which in the last nights repose hath been digested. It is the ill custome of some Ladies, that they might meliorate their complexions, to take in their beds Broths, Asses or Goats milke, and after sleep upon it: such nourishment although it be good and commendable in it self, yet taken in such a sluttish manner, instead of breed­ing good blood, is soon corrupted and turn'd into a malignant nature; both be­cause the stomach when such meat is re­ceived, [Page 29]is not as yet discharged of its ex­crements and pituitous superfluities; and the appetite is not as then excited; for that the animal spirits which are the causes of it, are yet dull and drowsie. Moreover, in the morning Nature being careful of its oeconomy, is imploy'd to drive outward those humid redundancies which were heaped the night before up in the body; but such unreasonable eating, diverts Na­ture from that expulsion, and constrains her to retire inward to promote concocti­on; so that being distracted by two such contrary motions, she performs neither so, as much to farther the bodies health. Thus much for that course of life which ought to be observ'd by those who would have their ravishing features penetrate those flinty breasts against which Cupids shafts seem too blunt and dull: the next Chapter supplyes you with Remedies which shall so set off the loathsome im­perfections of a blear-ey'd and wither'd Maegaera, that she shall be taken for some attractive and heart subduing Venus.

CHAP. III. External means to gain a good Com­plexion.

IF in the flowry enamell of Natures gar­den there be any sensitive plant tis beauty: for though it may thrive and flourish perhaps in the face that Elysium of delights, during the youthfull May of warmer yeares, yet even then must it be cherish'd with a tender care: for so sensible is it of the softest touch, that if the Sun (intending to borrow some of its lustre to increase his owne) do but gently salute it with its subtle & limber rayes, it presently shrouds it selfe in a mantle of Jet, as if re­senting his mildest embraces; as a rude in­dignity, it were resolv'd to benight the face in a gloomy coverture, in spight of his world of glory. So againe if sullen Aeolus come so nere to blow upon it with his chilly breath, it presently contracts its expanded roses, as if it had rather degene­rate into a deformed nature, then expose it self to the saucie blasts of that blustring courtier. We can't then be too carefull of a flower which is so nice and tender, nei­ther [Page 31]can any with discretion blame those Ladies that through an innocent care of enamouring looks, use some artificiall wa­ters to preserve and cherish those features, which are of themselves too apt to fade and wither. I must here yet give them this caution, to avoid those things which ra­ther adulterate then adorne the skin, such as Spanish white and Mercury: the least in­conveniences they must ex [...]ect from such drugs (except prepared by a very skilfull Artist) are a wrinkle-furrowed visage, stin­king breath, loose & rotten teeth. So that it will be more safe and better to use de­coctions, Pomatums, ointments and such like applications as you find described here, which are not in the least dangerous and doe exceedingly adorne the beautie.

As for the use of them, before they are applyed, the part must be washed with warme water, and after with water and sope, or some other detersive liquor, which may prepare and fit it for the acti­on of the ensuing medicaments. Such pre­parative liquors may be, distilled waters of mallows, elder, beanes, water lillies; cows milke distilled; infusion of white bread, decoction of French barly, or any thing of the like nature, whereof you may have [Page 32]your choice in this Chapter. When the part is cleansed, apply some of the follow­ing Cosmeticks, let them lye on all night, and in the morning wash with bran and water, or else with Violet water. The most approved Compositions for the beau­tifying of the Body, are these:

Take the Roots of Dragonwort, Arum (or Cuckoe-pintle) Briony, of each one ounce: sweet almonds peel'd, half a pound: bean bran half an ounce: Camphire, sal gem. sal ammoniac. borace, rock allum, all poudred of each two drams, incorpo­rate them together with the whites of eggs, and form thereof little balls, which dissolve in cold water, wash your face therewith going to bed, let it lye on till the morning, and then wash it off with this water following:

Take a pottle Pot well glaz'd, fill it half full with the roots of white or marsh mal­lows washed and slic'd, adde thereto a pint of white wine, a dozen egg shells clean washt and poudred, afterwards pour in so much river or spring water as will fill up the Pot, boyl all these together to the con­sumption of a third part, and then adde the crum of a penny white loaf, and as much as a bean of verdigreese, pounded and tyed [Page 33]up in a little bag, strain the decoction in­to a basin, and adde to half thereof an ounce of finely poudred sugar, moisten a fine white ragg in this water, and wash the face therewith, without wiping after it.

Take two white pigeons, pull them, and cast away the guts, head, wings and leggs, then mince them into small pieces, then put them into a glass alembick, strow­ing the bottom with some plantane leaves; adde thereto oyle of sweet almonds three ounces, butter four ounces, a pint of Goats milk, the crum of a white loafe, borace and sugar candy of each two drams, burnt allum and poudred camphire of each three draws, the whites of 24 eggs, let all these infuse for the space of twelve hours, then carfully stop the alembick, and distil them in Balneo Mariae; put the distilled water into glass viols to settle in a cool celler, strein it through a fine cloth, and wash your face there with morning and evening: it makes the face, or any other part, ex­ceeding comely: and is that pigeon wa­ter which hath been so much pris'd by the Court Dames at Paris.

Take allum, sal gem, of each one ounce, borace and camphire half an ounce, oyle of Tartar four ounces; beat and work [Page 34]them together, then adde a pint of briony water, distill them altogether in B.M. the water you draw from them will be of marvellous vertue to beautifie any part, and make it of a ruddy complexion. Of the same effect is that which follows.

Take madder, frankincense, myrrhe, oriental saffron, mastick, of each like quan­tities, bruise them all, and steep them in white wine, anoint the face therewith go­ing to bed, in the morning wash either with cold or warm water, it will purple any part with a gallant and pleasing blush. Or, take fraxinella roots, chew them, and tye them in a fine ragg, and bath the face.

This following is much commended for making the face white and clear as ala­blaster; Take myrrhe two ounces, fran­kincense half an ounce, white ginger three drams, cinnamon and sublimate of each two drams, camphire one dram, whites of three or four eggs, put all these toge­ther in the belly of a young pullet or ca­pon well wash'd, and cleansed; add there­to Goats or Asses milk, distil all together, and you shall have such a water that few things can equal it. If you fear it be­cause of the sublimate, after you have [Page 35]used it two or three times, you may dis­continue it, and use this following:

Take the white of an egg, beat it toge­ther with rose water, anoint the face there­with, and when it hath sometime been dried on wash with rose water. Or often bath the face with rose water camphora­ted. It is exceeding good to prevent those inconveniencies which may happen from the use of such things as too much dry and parch the face.

Slice four oranges and as many lim­mons, take white sugar and rock allum of each one ounce; infuse them three or four hours in a quart of milk, then distil them in B. M. and wet some fine cloth in the water to lay over the face when you go to bed. Or, take Goats milk one quart, juyce of citrons one pint, white wine vi­negar half a pint, the flowers of beans, water lillies, fumitory, of each three hand­fuls, the whites of half a dozen eggs, cam­phire two drams, distil and use them as the other.

Oyle of myrrhe is singular good to preserve the beauty, if when you go to bed you wash your face with the distilled water of bean flowers, and afterwards anoint it with that oyle: It is thus pre­pared, [Page 36] Take new laid eggs and boyl them hard, slit them and take out the yolks, then fill them up with poudred myrrhe, close them together, lay them in a moist cool place, and the myrrhe will dissolve into a water, which is the oyle. After the same manner you may prepare oyle of Tartar, if you calcine and put it into the eggs, it is an exceeding good Cosmetick.

Take Unguentum Citrinum three ounces, sperma coeti an ounce and a half, salt of Ceruse half an ounce, oyle of eggs as much, mash them together and make a li­niment. To make salt of Ceruse, you must pouder the ceruse very fine, and mix it with some distilled vinegar, so that to one ounce of ceruse there may be four ounces of vinegar; let it infuse three or four dayes, then draw it off by filtration, and and set that which is drawn off over the fire, in an earthen pot well glaz'd and dried till it become a salt, as they make their cauteries.

Take prepared snails, that is, drawn out of their shels and washt so long in salt and water till they loose their slime, then pound them and lay one bed of them in the bottom of an Alembicke, and on them make an other bed of sal gem, allum, fran­kincense, [Page 37]borace, camphire of each pounded two drams, then poure on so much juice of limmons as may cover them two fin­gers, so let them macerate 5 or 6 hours to­gether, and then distill them in Bal. Maris.

Take twelve limons, as many hen egs, halfe a pound of turpentine well washt, put the turpentine in the bottome of the alembick, boile the egs hard and distill all in B. M. this water is excellent to whi­ten the skin and change the complexion, if you wash wish spring watar and dry the face, and after wash with this without wiping.

This bath is very good, Take two hand­fulls of sage leaves, the like quantity of la­vender flowers and roses, a little salt, boile them in spring water and therewith bath your body; remembring that you are ne­ver to bath after meals for it will occasion many infirmities; bath therefore two or three hours before dinner, it will cleare the skin, revives the spirits and streng­thens the body, the same effects hath this following.

Take rose water, vineger, salt, boile all together in faire water, take thereof a pint, mix some bran with it, and wash the [Page 38]body all over with it, let it dry on, then wash it off, nothing can be better to mun­difie the body.

Some Ladies delight much in sweet baths, therefore into half a pint of water they put 5 or 6 drops of oile of spicke­nard; some beside this adde musk, amber, civet, lignum aloes, benjamin, storax, myrrh, cloves, roses, limmon and orange flowers, rosemary, lavender, mint, penny­royall. But your chymicall extracts far excell all these, if you mix but halfe a do­zen drops with your bath; such are the oile of oranges, cloves, mace, nutmegs and the like.

When your bath is provided remember if you prise your health or beauty, that it be not too hot; for then it scorcheth the skin and makes it rough; and causes very many untoward infirmities. Thus much for the meanes to gaine a good com­plexion, I come in the next place to give some speciall remedies, how to correct the more particular vices of an ill complexi­on: as a pale and swarthy colour, a rough, harsh, grosse or sluttish skin, sweat, spots, itch, scab, leprosie, scurf and the like.

CHAP. IV. How to beautifie a white and pallid complexion.

Such colours when they annoy the complexion principally proceed from ill humours, which abound in the body & are expelled forth to the externall superfi­cies of the skin; wherefore those that desire to correct any vitious colour that offends their bodies, must in the first place by some purgation evacuate that humour, whereto their distemper ows its originall. Now the palenesse of the complexion in women is principally occasioned by ob­structions of the spleen and liver, which cause in them a suppression of their month­ly purgations, which cause being by an orderly course of physick removed, the body must be replenisht by a good and commendable dyet. If this doe not recover their decaying beauty they may proceed to externall applications; and to make their cheeks and lips ruddie and lively, with good success use these things fol­lowing.

Dissolve the shavings of Brasil and Or­kanet, in allum water, wherewith (after [Page 40]you have sufficiently cleansed the face with water of lillies or bean flowers) bath the cheeks and lips, letting it dry on. Or else bath the cheeks, lips or any other part that is too pale and white with allum water wherein a pciee of red turnsoile hath been often steeped, or rub those parts with a peece of shipskin coloured red. To chafe the parts often with the hand or a course cloth makes them look red and lively; for such frictions draw the blood and spirits outward. Or in case of necessi­ty use Pomatum and Vermilion made of cinnaberis. Or, Take red Saunders bruise and steep it for 3 dayes in Aqua Vitae, then boile it for an hour over a gentle sire ad­ding a little allum and gum arabick, than strein it and bath the parts therewith.

Take rock allum unc. 1. boile it in a pinte of running water, when it is dissolved take it off from the fire, let it cool, then adde to it Vermilion finely powdred one ounce, boile them againe to a consumption of half, streine the decoction and keep it for your use.

Take Brasil one ounce, Cloves halfe a score, grains of Paradise two scruples, boile them with a pint of rectified Aqua vitae [Page 41]in a covered vessel; use it when it is cold.

CHAP. V. To smooth a rough and uneven Skin.

THe skin is the bodies native shirt; which if it be of a courser thread, it is some of Natures homespun houswifry, carelesly hudled up when she was in hast to finish a finer peece. To smooth such rug­ged, canvas and bring it to a pleasing even­nesse that may vie with the polisht Ala­blaster, art here 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 [Page 42]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 [Page 43]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.

Ʋnguentum Citrinum is of great effica­cy to help this distemper if you adde thereto a little sublimate carefully pre­pared, or a little white hellebore finely [Page 44]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, [Page 45]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 d [...]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 [Page 46]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 [Page 47]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, and love not Potions, you may use these following Pills:

Take Citrine mirabolans, rubarb, of each half a dram, aloes washt in the de­coction of sena one scruple, make them up [Page 48]into Pills with syrup of Fumitory; then anoint your self going to bed with this oyntment. Take Brimstone an ounce and a half, salt and sallad oyle one ounce, grind the salt and sulphur exceeding small; mix them with the oyle, and when you go to bed use it for three or four nights; only chafing it very well into the palms of the hands, then draw on a pair of gloves; and keep them on all night; it will cure all itch and scabs throughout the body.

Take as much mans urine as will serve to bath the diseased up to the knees; add thereto▪ charecoal of oak poudered and black hellebore, but more hellebore than coal: bath therewith the leggs for fifteen mornings together, and longer if need re­quite. This hath its effect on every member of the body, so that whether it be Totter, Leprosie, Itch, or running Scab, in short time it is cured with this medicine.

Mercur. and other experienced Physi­tians, commend the success that these ointments have, if they are applied to the pulse: Take oleum laurinum six drams, quicksilver one dram and a half, borace three drams, ceruse one dram, cummin­seeds one scruple; make them into an [Page 49]ointment. Or, Take equal parts of bo­race and aloes, a third part of prepared quicksilver, as much oyle of Lawrel, make them into an Unguent; and with either of these anoint the pulses going to bed: after you have bathed your arms for some while in warm water. I find these much extol'd, but I would not have you use them before you have try­ed something else because of the quick­silver.

Before you practice with any medi­cine, remember to purge the body of that humor which is the cause of your distemper. I shall here only add two or three odoriserous waters which cure all such infirmities, and make the skin smooth and delicate. Take Bawm, what quanti­ty you please, beat it well, then set it to macerate one night in white wine, the next morning draw off the water in a glass still. It is exceeding sweet, and in a short time cures all scabs throughout the body, if you add a grain of musk and bath it therewith: mixt with natural balsame, and anointed on the face, 'twill make it of a lively rose colour.

Take dried Sage eight ounces, nutmegs five ounces, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, [Page 50]grains of paradice, of each four ounces; bruise them, and then set them to digest for twenty four hours in good white wine, afterward distil them according to art in an Alembick: The water drawn from thence is so excellent, that if you drink it in a small quantity for three dayes fasting, it cures all Tetters and Scabs, breeds good blood, and causes a lovely complexion.

Take Turpentine a quarter of a pound, honey two ounces, aquae vitae three ounces, wood of aloes beaten small, sweet saunders, of each three drams, gum ara­bick one dram, nutmegs two drams, ambergreece one dram, powder all small, and distil them with a gentle fire; and in your operation you shall draw three seve­ral sorts of liquors: the first is clear, the second (when the fire is increased) falls in drops like burning coals, the third descends a little blacker and thicker than honey. The first is called mother of bal­same; the second oyle of balsame; and the third artisicial balsame: If you anoint your self with the first of these, it is ex­ceeding good for spreading Scabs, or itch­ing Tetters; kept in the mouth, it swee­tens the breath, fastens, preserves, and [Page 51]whitens the teeth; anointing the face therewith, it makes it smooth and ruddy. The second and third liquors recover complexion lost, are good for any bruise, cure all distempers arising from the blood, or phlegme corrupted.

CHAP. VIII. To adorne the scurffie and mealy Complexion.

That Complexion is said to be mealy and scurffie, which appears full of little white scales that fall off like small bran, when the face or other part is rub'd with a woollen cloth. The thin and mea­ger constitution is most frequently troub­led with this distemper; and it proceeds from thick and grosse humors detain'd betwixt the cuticle and the under skin, which corrupt after some continuance, and then corrode that slender covering into a scaly dust.

To embellish such a complexion, the chiefest care must be to dislodge those humors that lye betwixt the Epidermis [Page 52]and the grosser skin; for which intent you may use urine, or white wine wherein sliced limmons have been boiled; a lixi­vium made with the ashes of beets and coleworts, wherein boile lupins and beans, and in the streined liquor dissolve a spoonful or two of honey or gall, or some­thing of the like nature to bath the face withal.

If the face be very lean, instead of the foregoing Fomentation, you may use this that is not so drying. Take the leaves of buglosse, borage, pellitory, mallows, fu­mitory, violets, cichory, endive, lettice, poppy, fengreek, cleans'd barly, boyle them together in water, adding a little bran bound up in a bag; after the face hath been bathed, wash it with this wa­ter:

Take bitter almonds, the meal of beans and vetches, of each one ounce; allum, borace, mastick, olibanum, gum tragant, of each half an ounce; juyce of limmons seven ounces; water of plantane, roses and white lillies, of each three ounces; new Goats milk four ounces; mix all to­gether, and distil them with a gentle fire.

Take Mel rosatum, rose water, juyce of limmons, of each two ounces; gum tragagant, mastick, ceruse prepar'd, starch, olibanum, of each three drams, allum, white corral, cuttle bone, borace, of each two drams; sal gem, a dram and a half; bean meal one ounce; the whites of three eggs, snails beaten with their shells, six ounces; camphire half a dram; cinnamon half an ounce; mix them, and distil them in Balneo Maris, then apply the water to the face.

Take Enula campan, burdock roots, of each two ounces; boile them in strong vinegar, pound them and passe them through a streiner; add solphur vive two drams, salt calcined a dram and a half, juyce of limmons two ounces; dip a cloth in this composition, and so bath the skin with it.

Take the water that is found in cavities of oaks, wash the skin therewith: Or, Take the juyce that is newly prest from agrimony incorporated with salt and vi­negar; or the juyce of burdock mixt with sulphur vive. The Decoction of scabious drank for some mornings toge­ther, cures the skin of this infirmity. Or, Take the roots of scrofulary out of the [Page 54]ground in Autumne, beat them together with fresh butter, put it into an earthen pot close stopt, set it in a moist place twelve or fifteen dayes, the butter will soon dissolve, strein it, and keep it to a­noint the body.

CHAP. IX. How to polish the Skin when it is disfi­gured with Scars, or marks of the Small Pox.

VArious are the supprising casualties that deform a polisht Skin; each wound is a grave where Loves dumb ora­tor lyes inshrin'd; and Chirurgeons usu­ally the unskilful Plaisterers, that make an ill-rais'd cicatrice the swelling monument to departed beauty. The feature fret­ting Pox, if it sets but a foot within that paradice of perfections the face; it leaves more disfiguring impressions there, than a Coridons clouted shoes on a Cedar floor. Now to smooth, Ladies, and polish your skins after such disasters, prise the medicines commended to you in this Chapter as ra­rities; [Page 55]they'le make the hills and dales of uneven faces meet without a miracle, levelling them to such a smoothness, that little Cupid, though blind, may sport him­self there and never stumble.

Take mastick two ounces, gum arabick one ounce, saffron half an ounce, turpen­tine three ounces, old sallad oyle two ounces; make the mastick and gum ara­bick into a grosse pouder, then put them into the oyles and turpentine, distil all to­gether in a glasse Alembick, and anoint the face with the water going to bed; in the morning wash with warm water, wherein the finest flower hath been in­fused. It is exceeding good for any dis­figuring scarr that appears after the conso­lidation of a wound. Of the same na­ture is the next that follows.

Take oyle of Tartar, and the mucilage of Psyllium seeds extracted with rose wa­ter, of each one ounce; ceruse dissolved in oyle of roses as much, borace and sal gem. of each one dram; incorporate them well together and make an oynt­ment. Or, Take Tartar well burnt, boile eggs hard, take out the yolks after you have slit them, and fill up the cavities with the burnt tartar; put them in a moist [Page 56]place, and keep the water that comes from thence as excellent for scars.

Take litharge of gold two ounces, ceruse and salt, of each half an ounce; vinegar, rose and plantane water, of each three ounces; camphire half a dram; mingle and filtre it, so keep it for use. Or, Take wild cucumer roots finely powdred one ounce, allum two drams, sulphur vive, nitre, of each one dram; incorporate all together with lard well washt, use it as an ointment. These two are of the same vertue with the former.

Take oyle of Lillies, capons grease, oyle of roses, of each one ounce and a half; wash these well in rose and lilly wa­ter; then add to them the whites of four or five eggs half boiled in their shells, oyl of sweet and bitter almonds, of each one ounce; incorporate them together in a marble mortar, and in the working put in the mucilage of melon seeds, litharge of gold and chalk poudred, of each two drams; make them into an Unguent: applied to the face, it takes away all those scars the Small Pox too frequently makes there. Hares blood, if you bath the skin often with it warm, fills the ca­vities with flesh, and makes the skin even [Page 57]and plain. It is likewise an approved ex­periment, That the water which comes from Sheep or Goats hoofs burnt, is very good for the same. Or, use this follow­ing:

Take Litharge of gold washt nine times in rose water, and sifted as often, two drams; reed roots dried and pounded, rice meal, powder of burnt bones, bean meal, of each one dram; beat all toge­ther very small, then sift it through fine tiffiny; incorporate it with the mucilage of flax seed, fengreek and psyllium ex­tracted in lilly water, and so bring it into the form of an Unguent. Apply it to the face going to bed, on the morrow wash with barly water.

Bath the places with warm water, then strew thereon the cinders of burnt Tar­tar, either alone or with myrrhe. Or, bath the places with water wherein cin­namon hath a long time boiled, then put thereon the powder of litharge, it will in short time take away all marks of the Small Pox.

Take wheaten starch, blancht almonds, of each two drams; sweet costus, gum tragacanth, of each half a dram; reed roots half an ounce; barly meal, whole [Page 58]melon seeds, beans dryed and pounded three drams, saffron one scruple, powder and sift the whole, mingle them with e­qual parts of rose water and juice of orange peel, make a liniment, and with a feather anoint the scars of the pox, leave­ing it so all night; on the morrow wash with the decoction of camomile and mel­lilot.

CHAP. X. How to remove spots in what part of the body soever.

I Have seen faces from whose features, beauty her self might have taken co­pies, had not nature studying too much neatnesse plaid the curtezan, and spoiled that which was handsome before by two much patching. Yet most Ladies never think themselves Venus's for beauty, except they have some artificiall mole: though such stellae nebulosae ecclipse more then increase the native lustre; and espe­cially where nature is too free in her spots they are alway reputed blemishes not ornaments. Those then that have [Page 59]beauties characters defac'd with such blots, if they have recourse to these fol­lowing directions, shall find themselves quickly freed, and their features so ravish­ing that were it the mode of this age to dedicate shrines to beauty, there is no [...]e of them but would have their Altar, where the most generous heart should glory to be a sacrifice.

CHAP. XI. To reduce the body that is too fat to a meane and handsome proportion.

IT can be no pleasing sight, to see a soul prest under a mountaine of flesh, and the body stretcht to such dimensions that make it represent a walking barrell. Were there nothing more then this, 'twere sufficient to deterre any from such an unwildie magnitude, that it always proves its own accuser, exposing in too legible characters, Sloth, to every one that can but read. For when ere the carcase swels it self into a bulk too volumi­nous, idlenesse is there describ'd in folio. [Page 64]Have a care Ladies then to keep your bo­dies in a mean proportion, and if ever they enlarge themselves to extravagant limits, use these directions to reduce them to their former bounds, so you may regaine your credit and your beautie too.

Rise early in the mornings and use some violent exercise to sweat often; fast much, rise halfe satisfied from your meals; let your first course be oily and fattie things that the appetite may be soon sati­ated, and the body kept soluble; the se­cond course sharp, salt and bitter things: out all your meats with vineger, pepper, mustard, juice of oranges and limmons; sleep at night on a quilt.

It is good to bleed largely twice a year, the right arme in the spring, the left in the autumne; purge the body in those seasons with strong physick, once a week take some laxatives, as pillulae [...]uffi, extractum Rudii; every morning chiefely in winter use this powder.

Take the feeds of annis, fennel, agnus castus, rue, carroway, cummin, pepper, ginger, mace, nutmegs, galingale, smal­lage, dryed marjerom, gentian, round birthwort, of each equall parts, [Page 65]take one dram of this powder in a glasse of white wine half an hour before meals.

Cooling applications may be layd to the heart or liver, as the juice or deco­ction of plantane, shepheards purse, hor­staile, lettuce, white henbane, adding the powder of camfre, mirtle or the like.

If any one particular part be too cor­pulent, for the rest of the body, you may bring it to a correspondent proportion if you use this unguent, Take Fullers earth, ceruse and lead, mix them with the juice of white henbane and the oile of mirtle; anoint the part therewith, having first ba­thed it with vinegar, wherein brimstone, salt nitre, and rock allum have been dis­solv'd. Some use with ligaments to bind those passages, whereby the member is supplyed with nourishment.

CHAP. XII. To make the body or any part thereof plump and fat, that was before too leane.

IN a contrary extreame to corpulency, are those breathing Skeletons that car­ry [Page 66]Lent in their face at a Christmas feast, and look so meagerly that their Confes­sours, since they have nothing leaft but skin and bones, dare not for feare of a So­loecisme injoine them pennance to mor­tifie the flesh. No part about them thrive so well as their bones, and these look as lustie, as if they had eaten up the flesh, and were readie to leap of the skin to fall upon others. Truly Ladies such lean­nesse is a ravenous guest, and will keep you bare to maintaine him, if you have a mind to be rid of his company, observe these prescriptions following and I dare ingage he shall not long disturb you.

Let your chamber in the summer time be kept something cool and moist with violets, lillies, or the like fresh flowers: before you eat, chafe the body till it look red, then walke and stirre about some houswifes imployment. When you eate take nothing that is salt or sharp, bitter or too hot, but let your meats be sweet and of good nourishment, as fresh egs, mutton, veale, capon, and for three hours after meat take your recreation in daun­cing, singing, discoursing &c. use some baths twice a month, and in the mornings this electuary.

Sweet almonds, pistach nuts, white poppy seed, butter and sugar, beat them up into the forme of an electuary: take thereof morning and evening the quantity of a walnut, it quickly fattens and gives a good complexion.

Take twelve or thirteen Lizards or outs cut off their heads and tailes, boile them and let the water stand to cool, take of the grease mix it with wheaten flower, feed a Hen therewith till shee be fat, then kil her and eat her; this often used will make you exceeding sat, keep it for a rare and true secret.

Take a young Capon, the flesh of veal, four calves feet, white wine, faire water of both 3 quarts: boile all in an earthen vessell, scumming of all the fat. Then put this broth into a new vessell with a pound and a halfe of sugar, cinnamon half an ounce, a dozen cloves, boile it gently againe, then adde thereto the whites of two egs, reboil it, and passe it through a streiner, before it cool, mix a little musk, and amber, dissolved in rose­water.

Take the flower of rice half a pound, dissolve it in as much milke as is sufficient, [Page 68]adde thereto the flesh of a young Capon boild tender, sweet almonds 24. beat them well in a morter then mix them with the milke and rice, streine all through a course cloth, putting thereto what quan­tity of sugar you please. Boile all over a soft fire till it coagulate into the forme of a gelly: when it begins to cool adde of amber and muske dissolv'd in rose water as much as will give it a gratefull odour, often take a small quantity of it.

If one part fall away and be are no pro­portion to the rest of the body; you may bring it to even terms thus. Take oile of Foxes an ounce and a halfe, oile of lillies, the greace of Capons, and Geese of each two ounces, greek pitch, pine rosin, and turpentine of each two ounces, boile all these together in an earthen glazed vessell, adding oile of elder one ounce, then take it from the fire and adde new wax, as much as will suffice to make it into a stiffe cerecloth, when it is almost cold spread it upon a strong cloth, as much as will wrap up the member, then ap­ply it and leave it on all night; if you find any inconvenience in it use this fol­lowing bath.

Boile in claret wine halfe a handfull of roses, wormwood, stoechas, calamint, squinanth, rosemary, sage, cammomile, of each one handful; let a third part of the wine be consum'd, while it is warme, bath the place where the cerecloth was applyed; this bath doth draw nourish­ment to the part, and strengthens its re­tentive virtue. Thus much of what con­cernes the beautifying of the body in generall.

CHAP. I. To cure Redness and fiery Pimples in the Face.

AN inundation of crimson'd blood of­ten drowns the flowry Elysium of a charming face; disfigoring it with such a flaming hue, as if the juycie god had made it his vineyard, and planted it with rubie Grapes. To abate the fury of such high colours, and fright them into a plea­sing [Page 72]paleness; call to your assistance the following Receipts.

As to the general cure, you are to ab­stain from wine, except it be very well qualified; as also from all meats which heat the blood, as those which are sharp or spicy: or are easie to be corrupted in the stomack, as milk, cheese, &c. use in your broths lettuce, spinage, purslain, sorrel, and the like: Blood-letting is exceed­ing good, chiefly in the median vein, in both the arms, some dayes being inter­posed; then in the vein of the forehead, afterwards in the neck; apply cupping-glasses to the shoulders and neck, especi­ally under the chin, and sometimes to the thighs and leggs; you may also apply leeches to the cheeks and chin to evacu­ate the blood that is amassed under the skin.

For more particular remedies, if the malady be inveterate, begin with Emoli­ents, digestives, and things that do at­tenuate, not only to rarifie the skin, but also to subtilize the humor. For if at first you use cold things and repercussives, you will condense the skin through which the humors ought to exhale and impact the humor into the substance of [Page 73]the flesh, and make it the more contuma­cious to be dissolved; whereby the com­plexion is made more black and swar­thy.

Prepare then a Decoction of figgs, rai­sins of the Sun washed and ston'd, oat­meal, soap, french barley, the leaves of pellitory of the wall, camomil, mallows, violets; receive the fume of this Deco­ction up into the face, covering the face and neck with a napkin, to keep the fume from dissipating: continue this three or four times that the face may be supple, and the skin fitted to receive the vertue of your medicines the better.

Instead of this Decoction, you may spread on the visage the warm blood of a pigeon, pullet, or capon drawn newly from under their wings; let the blood lay on all night, in the morning wash it off with warm water, or the decoction of soap, oat­meal, or the like. Or else in the place of these remedies, Take fresh flesh of a neck of beef, veal, or mutton, cut two or three thin slices, lay them on the red places, and change them often, or else they will stink: And in case you have no fresh flesh, you may take slices of stale, put them on the coals, and so apply them [Page 74]warm to the redness. The next morning wash the face with fine rags dipt in the forementioned decoction.

When you find that those remedies do something mitigate the fiery colour of your face, and asswage the pimples, you may proceed to other medicines, that have vertue to repercuss the thin and subtle blood, and bind the skin that it may not be so apt to receive such noxious vapours, nor long retain them. Such are these that follow:

Take a pint of rose water, put it into a glasse, and steep therein camphire and sulphure finely powdred, of each one ounce, myrrhe and frankincense of each half an ounce, set it in the sun twelve or fifteen dayes. Often wash the face with water:

Take Brimstone one ounce, ceruse wash­ed two drams, juyce of limmons half a pint, juyce of onyons two ounces, cuttle bones and camphire, of each one dram: pound what is to be pounded, and incor­porate your pouders with your juyces; anoint the face therewith going to bed, in the morning wash it off with the deco­ction of bran.

Take the roots of the greater and lesser serpentary of each one ounce, bruise them, & boile them with as much water of plan­tane, roses, water lillies and vinegar, as will suffice to bring them to a mash, then beat them in a mortar with oyle of roses two ounces, adding the finest pouder of burnt oyster shells one dram and a half, camfre one scruple, Venetian ceruse two drams, salt, powdred brimstone, of each one dram, juyce of citrons one ounce; make all these into a Liniment for your use.

Take litharge of gold, sulphure viue, of each half an ounce, powder and put them into a glasse with vinegar and rose­water; moisten a fine ragg in this water, apply it to the face all night, in the morn­ing wash with bran and water.

Take sulphure vive one ounce, litharge and ceruse, of each half an ounce, powder and incorporate them with two ounces of fresh lard, well washt with the juyce of citrons, adding a little camphire, beat them sometime in a mortar, then keep it stopt in a glasse for your use. Or, boyle strong vinegar with bean and rose water, soak white raggs therein, and apply them to the face.

If your red pimples yield to none of these external remedies, you must have recourse to things more violent. Some use Vesicatories made of Cantharides and Soap mixt together. Others flea the E­pidermis, or superficial skin of the face, with aqua fortis, and after skin it with o­ther waters. But such medicines are too offensive to the face, by reason of infla­mations, and greater redness that happen too often through such tampring. It were better, if necessity compels you, to apply sublimate and quicksilver, for they are much safer than Vesicatories, or aqua fortis, so they be prepared after that fashion which I shall here describe.

To prepare Quicksilver, chuse that which is most clear, white, and fluid; strein it through a sheepskin, it will cleanse it of all its dross, (the oftner you strein it, the purer 'twill be,) then boyle it in vinegar with sage, rosemary, tyme, camo. mile, melilot, then strein it again through a sheepskin, at last mortifie it with juyce of limmons or fasting spittle. Being thus prepared, it may with little danger be mixt with ointments, plaisters, or waters. Others steep quicksilver in strong vinegar and salt, for ten or twelve dayes, changing [Page 77]the vinegar and salt every day, then they purifie it with the crum of hot white bread in an earthen pot three or four times, then they passe it nine or ten times thorow a sheepskin, and at last mortifie it with juice of limmons.

Sublimate is prepared divers ways, the most assured preparation for our purpose is this following. Take Sublimate four ounces, bray it in a mortar with a wooden pestle, till you make it so fine that it doe not grate betwixt your fingers, then moi­sten it with juice of limmons beating it all the while: then take quicksilver, pre­pared carefully as you were taught be­fore, one ounce, worke it together with the sublimate in the mortar (wherein you should have first pounded half a dozen almonds, to make the mortar slippery and the sublimate more easy to powder) af­ter this work them well together with a wooden pestle for the space of 3 or 4 days without ceasing, especially the first day taking no rest; when you have beat it one whole day, adde one pound of the whitest Salt calcind, the next two days work and incorporate them together, so that of black or grey it may become white as snow, and if at 3 days end it be [Page 78]not sufficiently white, continue your tri­turation till it be so: when this is done put it into a pot well glazed, powre there­on a sufficient quantity of spring water, stir it about with a wooden Spattula, then cover it and let it settle till the water be­come clear, change the water three or four times for the foure first days: then stirre and change the water once a day for nine days following, setting it all the while in some shadie and moist place. When this is done and the water cleare, draw it off by inclination, and put the Sublimate in some vessell to dry in the Sun, stirring it up and down that it may dry the better, then keep it in a leaden pot.

The use of Quicksilver prepared as you were taught before is thus, Take lard often washt in vineger two ounces, prepa­red quick silver two drams, allum, sulphur vive of each half a dram beat them toge­ther in a leaden mortar and make them into an Unguent.

Take Lillie roots, roasted under the embers three ounces, pound and streine them, fresh butter and lard washt in vine­ger of each one ounce, sulphur vive three drams, juice of limmon six drams, com­mon [Page 79]salt half an ounce, camfre one scruple, work altogether and make it into an oint­ment.

The most efficacious remedies for this distemper are made of Sublimate, the best ways of using it are these. Take Ʋnguen­tum citrinum, pomatum washt in juice of limmons of each one ounce, sublimate well prepared half an ounce, ceruse washt in rose water and borace, both finely powdred on a marble, of each two drams. camphre powdred half a dram, incorporate these together, then steep them 2 or 3 days in distil'd vinegar.

Take sublimate prepared half an ounce, burnt borace two drams, grinde them on a marble, after make them into little bals with the whites of egs brought to a wa­ter, which upon occasion you may dissolve in rose water to wash the face.

But since Sublimate and Mercury though never so well prepared often in­jure the teeth and cause a stinking breath, it will be good when you apply them to the face, to take something that may with­stand such inconveniences; as often as you use them▪ to wash the mouth with oile of sweet almonds, or else to keep a peece of gold in the mouth.

When you make any application of quicksilver or sublimate consider whe­ther the face be grosse and corpulent, or leane and meager: if it be grosse you must mix them with such things as dry excedingly as borace, ceruse, calcin'd tartar, unguentum citrinum; if it be lean, you must use them with oile of sweet al­monds, pomatum, mucilage of gourd seeds &c.

CHAP. II. How to free the face from freckles.

FReckles are the product of fuliginous vapours, and like smoke usually molest those most that have the fairest skins: as if beauty jealous of being outvi'd by too cleare complexions, did bestow that yellow livery on others which she de­serv'd to weare her selfe, The best means to remove such disfiguring spots are these.

Take Oile of tartar one dram, milke of the figtree, hony of each two drams, in­corporate them well together, and bath the face therewith, Or take cummin seed [Page 81]beaten three ounces, salt two ounces, brim­stone one ounce, put them in a marble mor­tar, and beat altogether with the juice of celandine and urine, make it into an oint­ment & wash the face there with going to bed, in the morning wash with fair water.

Take roots of wild cucumbers, lillies, briony, borage, daffodill, dragonwort, of each one ounce, date stones, bitter al­mons of each as much, white corall, meale of lupines and beans, chrystall, cuttle bone, nitre, sal gem, white marble burnt, sarco­colla of each two ounces, ceruse five ounces, beat all these into an exceeding fine pow­der, make them into little bals with the juice of limmons, and dry them in the Sunne; when you would use them, take one or two and mix them with Oxe or Sheeps gall, and so anoint the face, let it lye on three or foure hours, then wash it off with warme water.

Take what quantity you please of juice of limmons, put it into a glasse bottle, adde thereto fine sugar and borace poun­ded, set it in the Sun eight days, shake it well together once a day: after use it. Or fill a thick & strong glass bottle with rose­mary flowers, bury it half a yeare in a dunghil, having stopt it close; in that [Page 82]time the flowers will be turned to water, wash the face therewith, it is exceeding good against the freckles.

Take calcin'd tartar one pound, mastick one ounce, camphre half an ounce, incor­porate them with the whites of eggs and apply it where it is needfull.

Beat radish seed and dragon roots to­gether, put them in aqua vitae, and set them in the Sun eight days together, then distil them in a Limbeck, and you shall draw a water admirable against all spots in the face.

Boile litharge in white wine vinegar till half be consumed, then streine the vinegar, take a little thereof, mix it with an equall quantity of oile of tartar, it will be as white as milk; bath the freckles therewith.

Wash the face with sope and warme water, then moisten the freckles with oile of tartar, or oile of allum, continue this for some weeks.

Beate as much sandarack with hony as will make it pretty thick, apply it to the freckles, & keep it on so long till it scorch the skin: then dissolve galbanum with a little nitre in vinegar, and bath therewith. And when any of these medicines offend [Page 83]the skin wash it with warme water, or anoint with oile of roses, or oile of sweet almonds.

CHAP. III. To whiten a tan'd visage and to keep the face from Sunburn.

AMber haird Hyperion spying faces to dawn with a world of dazeling fea­tures, that might rob him of his Persian votives, or withdraw the Heliotrope from its wonted homage; to secure his bright­nesse from being eclips'd by such teeming beauties, clouds them in the shadie cover­tures of night, while he makes day to all the world beside: but to make your beams of beauty break through such sable curtaines take these prescriptions fol­lowing.

White bryony water two drams, rose water one ounce, the white of one egge, oile of tartar two drams, verjuice one ounce, mix them and wash the face there­with, then dip a linnen cloth in it and lay it to the face all night.

Mix ceruse with oile of mirtle and [Page 84]white wine, bath the face therewith go­ing to bed. Or take rose water two ounces, womans milke one ounce, pounded myrthe two drams, the white of an egge, beate them together, going to bed wash the tann'd places with it.

Make pomatum with oile of sweet al­monds, wax and camfre. Else take the roots of Sowbread, scrape them & presse out the juice, boile it to the consistence of hony, then use it to anoint the face. Or mix the powder of burnt cuttle bones with hony, apply it in forme of an unguent to the face.

To keep the face from Sunburn, you had best wash with water drawn from the whites of eggs, or juice of soure grapes; or annoint the visage with a liniment made of powdred Mastick, and oile om­phacine. Or take goats suet well washed in cleare water, beat it in a mortar with rose water, strein it through a thick cloth, then take oile of sweet almonds one ounce, sugar candy two drams, camfre half a dram, boile them all together, stirring them continually that they may be white, when it hath boiled a pretty while put it into a glass for your use. If you goe abroad in the Sun or Wind anoint the face with [Page 85]it, and 'twill preserve your comple­xion.

Take pepper wort, roots of basill, ser­pentary the less of each three ounces, boile them in a quart of water, make a liniment to apply to the face for an houre; then take it off and wash with warme water, it is exceeding good to cleare the face from Sunburn. Briony roots boiled in oile; or cuttle bones burnt and mixt with hony, if they are applyed have the same effects.

CHAP. IV. To remove running Tettars, or spread­ing Pustules.

TEttars, which some call Ringworms, are the noxious vermine that great­ly damage beauties paradise, and crap its fairest flowers; defacing quite the lillies and roses that use to flourish, with a lovely grace, in the fruitful soile of a comely cheek. To secure your faces flowry E­lysium from such wasteful insects:

Take vinegar of Squills two ounces, aloes powdred two drams, juyce of dock roots, oyle of tartar, of each half an ounce; in­corporate [Page 86]them together in form of an oyntment, then apply it.

Make a Decoction of dock roots, mal­lows, fengreek in strong vinegar, and use it: then apply leeches; or make small scarifications, that some quantity of blood may issue forth; then anoint the place with the oyle of tartar, or apply dock roots steept in vinegar.

Take sublimate prepared three grains, put it to half a pint of water, put it in a glasse into a boyling pot, till the subli­mate dissolve: Keep the water as a choice experiment for any spreading tettar or pustule.

Take Tartar two drams, burnt allum three drams; powder and incorporate them with the whites of eggs for an ointment, Or, Take sulphur vive two drams and a half, nettle seed one dram, camfre half a dram, fresh butter two ounces, make an ointment, wash it in rose water, then use it.

Take plantane water two ounces, white vitriol two drams and a half, burnt allum one dram; mix them to bath your tet­ters or pimples withal. Or else, Take grains of paradice half a dram, cloves, gum tragaganth, ginger, of each half an [Page 87] ounce, brimstone six drams; reduce all to a fine powder, to be workt well together with lard, to make an ointment.

CHAP. V. How to help the Complexion when it is marr'd with blue and congealed blood, or black and blue, proceeding from a stroak or bruise.

THere often happens an effusion of the blood betwixt the flesh and the skin, where it stayes and is congeal'd, to the great disadvantage of the face: The cause of this distemper may be either internal, as corrupted blood in the body; or external, as a cold, chilling air, stroak or fall.

If the cause be internal, powder ru­barb, steep it some dayes in strong vine­gar, and bath the face therewith: Or, chew in the morning fasting, cummin or mustard seed, or calamus aromaticus, and anoint the face with it. Turneps boyld in honey; aloes mixt with honey; or ho­ney incorporated with the ashes of burnt [Page 88]garlick, are exceeding good in this case.

When this blewness of the visage pro­ceeds from cold, there is nothing better than to chafe the face often with the hand or a course cloth, or else, which is more effectual, you may use for a Fomentation aqua vitae warm'd.

If after a fall or bruise, the face, or a­ny other part remain blewish, it will be convenient to discusse the congeal'd blood, which may conveniently be done thus:

Take the roots of marsh mallows, of the great and lesser serpentary, of white lillies, wash them cleane, pound and boile them to a mash in rain water, mix it with the oile of tartar and dears suet, adding a little camphre and make it into the forme of an unguent.

Take the kernels of peaches pounded foure ounces, goard seed two drams, mix and pound them together, then presse out the juice or rather oile; you shall find it exceeding good for any black and blew bruise.

Take yellow arsnick, sal ammoniacum one scruple and a half, mix them with the juice of coriander seed in quantity about [Page 89]three ounces, bathe the bruised places with it. Aqua vitae heated and applyed to the bruise presently after the stroake with two spunges, changing them as fast as they cool, will take away all signes of the bruise.

CHAP. VI. To smooth the face disfigured with wrinckles.

THE smiling glories of beauties spring are often nipt with an early autumne; when sharp sith'd time cuts those flowry graces down, and shrouds them in the furrows of a wrinkled face. Now to make your verdant features flowrish in spight of envious time, or after their de­cay to smooth the face for a new plan­tation,

Take oile of bitter almonds two ounces, lilly roots finely powdred one ounce, make it into an ointment with the oile of roses and a little wax, and so apply it to the faces

Take oile of S. Johns wort one ounce, [Page 90]oile of mirtle, quinces, water lillies, jes­mine, mastick, of each half an ounce, melt all together in an earthen vessel, then take it, from the fire, adding a convenient quantity of rose water, then let it cool and use it.

Take thin shavings of ivory, make a de­coction thereof in water, streine it and keep the thickest, to mix with an equall part of incense and mouth glew, make it into an unguent, annoint the face there­with going to bed, in the morning wash with faire warme water.

Wash the wrinkled places with a de­coction made with an equall quantity of bryony roots and figgs. Or take incense, the scum of silver of each half an ounce, white pepper an ounce, powder all apart, incorporate them with mouth glew, make them up into small bal [...], dissolve these in rose water & make a liniment for the face.

Take the juice of sweet almonds drawn without fire, hony, the roots of lillies, roasted under the embers and pounded, white wax washt with rose water, make it into the forme of a salve, soake a piece of linnen therein for a cerecloth, & make a mask of it to lay over the face going to bed.

Boile pomegranate pils in white wine and whey, till the wine be consumed and the whole remain like a liniment. Or dry in the Sun wild cucumer & bryony roots, powder them and often wash the face with the powder steept in wine, afterward wash with cold water.

CHAP. VII. How to cure chaps in the Face.

WHen the injurious violence of wind or weather hath rent your silken Skins, if you intend to unite the separa­ting parts, you will find these your ser­viceable cements.

Take Staggs suet and Goats suet of of each half an ounce, burnt borace two drams, new wax half an ounce, oile of ro­ses two drams, make it into an ointment and use it. Or else take Capons grease and camfre, mix them and anoint the chaps therewith every night, in the morn­ing wash with bran and water. Some dis­solve mouth glew in warme rose water, and anoint the face therewith.

Distil'd oile of turpentine is very good; so is fresh butter, if you take three ounces of it, and mix it with the mucilage of gum tragaganth, of fleawort seeds, and of quince seeds, of each an ounce and a half, and so make it into the fashion of an ointment for your use.

Take kids suet one ounce, oile of the whites of eggs, of sweet almonds, and of prest henbane seeds of each half an ounce, goose and hens fat of each as much, li­tharge of silver prepared, washt ceruse, prepared tuttie, red lead of each one dram, saffron one scruple, camfre halfe a scruple, mix them and with a sufficient quantity of white wax make it into an ointment.

CHAP. VIII. Remedies for the Face when it is Burnt or Scalded.

IF the face that Magazin of Beauty be supprized by catching flames and blown up into blisters, your securest way will be to allay the fury of that offensive ele­ment, thus

Take lead burnt and washt two ounces, Goats suet, white wax, of each one ounce and a half; turpentine six drams, prepared lapis calaminaris, washt ceruse; of each two drams, mirrhe, mastick, olibanum, of each one dram, aloes epat. camphre, nitre of each half a dram; mix them and make a plaister.

To draw out the fire and take away the inflammation take the whites of two eggs, oile of roses and rose water of each two ounces, work them together and then apply them. Or take two raw onions, salt, Venice sope, bole armenick, of each an ounce, beat them together in a mortar, adding by degrees as much oile of roses as as will suffice to make it into an oint­ment.

To hinder the rising of blisters and take away paine, you may use this, Hens dung, the whitest and freshest you can get three ounces, fresh butter six ounces, sage leaves one handfull, plantaine leaves two hand­fuls fry them a while over the fire, and annoint the affected part therewith seve­ral times a day.

Or else you may take old lard, melt it with rose water, then streine it through a clean cloth, when it is cold wash it 6 or 7 [Page 94]times in plantane water, and to half a pound of this lard, add the yelks of 4 eggs; if the paine be vehement, you may mix a dram of opium with it.

In case the ulcer be sordid and puru­lent, make application of this; Take the inner rind of green elder, oile of roses of each half a pound, boile them with a gentle fire, strein them and adde oile of the yelks of eggs two ounces, frankincense two drams, tuttie one dram, wax enough to make it into an ointment.

To make the cicatrice smooth and faire, wash the ulcer after it is sufficiently cleans'd with plantaine water having first dissolv'd therein a little allum, being washt, strew thereon some metallique powder, either of tuttie, ceruse, litharge burnt and washt.

CHAP. IX. To beautifie the Face howsoever disfigured.

THis chapter Ladies, makes you a pre­sent of universall remedies, that will fortifie your faces against any distemper, [Page 95]and in spite of al the maladies that beauty is subject too, make them matchlesse: the only inconvenience that I feare from them is, that some of ye when ye look in your glasses, may fall in love with your own shadows, and so linger away Martyrs to your selves.

The oile or water of Talque applyed to the face makes it as white as alablafter. The manner of preparing it is this, Take talque, the most tender & transparent you can get, what quantity you please, slit it in­to thin slices, put them into a glass viol for the space of ten or twelve days, with the juice of limmons, during the frost in win­ter; make a bag of the thickest cloth you can procure, put the former steeped Talque into the bag, with the hardest ri­ver flints, let the bag when close tyed be rubbed together by two men, till the talque be exceeding finely powdred, then take it out and put it into a earthen pot that is not glaz'd, with a narrow mouth, stop the vessel and biud it well about with strong wire, then put it into a reverberatory for the space of 12 houres, then take it from the fire by degrees, when it is cool powder it with as much speed as you can (least it draw and take in the aire,) on a [Page 96]marble, then put it into a bag, with a hook at bottome whereon to hang a vessel to receive the liquor, then hang the bag with such a vessel in a deep well, a­bout a fathome from the water, for the space of 30 or 40 days, until the humidi­ty begins to drop: then take it up and put it in some moist place where neither aire nor wind comes, leave it hanging til all the moisture be dreind a­way, the liquor which you receive is the water of Talque: by the same meanes you may make oile of Talque, if you put that which remaines in the bag into a Retort giving fire to it by degrees till you draw all the oile forth: this is the most usuall and experienc't way of prepa­ring water or oile of Talque. Others prescribe this method, Take of the best talque what quantity you please, slice it into thin leaves, then calcine it thus, take sulphur finely powdred, make one strewing of it in a crucible, then put a laying of talque, after cover it with more sulphur, using this method till you have put in what quantity you please, and re­membring there be more talque then sul­phur, and that it be alwaies in the middle of the sulphur: cover the crucible, lute it [Page 97]well, and bind it about with wyre, set the crucible in a strong fire, for six hours, afterward pound it and passe it through a searce, then wash it well in hot water, till the water be fresh, then pour of the wa­ter by inclination and leave the Talque to dry; when it is dry put it again into a crucible, and put it to the fire for other twelve hours. Next, Take one pound of this Talque, sal armoniack two ounces, pouder them carefully together, put them in a moist place, and leave them there till they dissolve into a water; when it is dis­solved, separate the two waters by a gentle inclination, taking heed you do not mix the waters. The water which is clear and uppermost is the water of sal armoniack; that which is at bottom, is the water of Talque, which is as white as pearl, filtre it and keep it carefully in a glass; it makes the face as white as snow, and may be used by a Princess.

Take sweet almonds blanched, four pound; sandarach, mastick, ceruse, sul­phur vive, of each two ounces, gum tra­gaganth one ounce; whites of eggs three ounces; beat them together, and leave them to macerate seven or eight dayes, beating them together once a day, then [Page 98]heat them till they begin to smoke, after press them, and you shall have [...]n oyle ex­cellent good to beautifie the face. Or else going to bed chew five or six peel'd almonds, then put them in a linnen cloth and bath the face therewith. Or, Take oyle of tartar, mingle it with distilled vi­negar in the palm of the hand, adding a little camphre, and use it to bath the face.

Dissolve in fair water Ceruse one pound, strein it through a thick cloth, leave that which is streined in a vessel one night till the Ceruse be setled to the bot­tom; pour off the water, and dry the Ceruse in the Sun, covering it with a cloth that it loose not its whiteness; when it is dry, adde thereto a like quantity of starch and gum dragant: keep the mix­ture, and when you would use it, mix it with a little Womans or Asses milk, wash your face therewith going to bed; in the morning wash with water wherein wheat flower hath been boiled; continue this twelve or fifteen dayes. Ceruse, since it is so excellent to whiten and clear the face, and seeing there are sundry sorts of it, I will here give a direction or two for their several preparations.

Ceruse of Wheat is made thus: Take what quantity you please of the finest french Wheat, steep it in fair water five or six dayes till it burst, then strein it and beat it a little; then strein it again in o­ther clean water, then strein it again tho­row a cloth; when it has stood a little, and the water is something clear, pour off that water and pour on another, beat it together a long time, strein the juyce in­to more water, then set it in the Sun till the water be clear, then pour off the wa­ter gently, and to the sediment which re­mains in the bottom adde more water; do this, continuing the change of water morning and evening, for six dayes toge­ther, keeping the vessel continually co­vered, and in the day time setting it in the Sun; on the seventh day pour off the water by a gentle inclination, setting that which remains in the bottom to dry in the Sun; after it is dryed, pouder it fine­ly and keep it close stopt in a glass. This Ceruse is of singular vertue to whiten, clear, and pollish the skin; Tuke then one ounce of this Ceruse, white Corral and Borace, of each half a dram; Nitre one scruple; reduce them all to a very fine pouder, and when you would use it, dis­solve [Page 100]one part thereof in rosewater with camphre and musk; bath your face with it going to bed, in the morning wash with water and the crum of white bread.

The Ceruse of the roots of either of the Serpentaries, is thus prepared; Take the roots in July or August, slit them into little round slices, put them on a string some distance one from the other, and so dry them in the Sun, after pouder them as fine as possible, then sift the pou­der and mingle it with fair water, strein it through a fine cloth so often, till the whole substance of the root pass through the streiner; then set the thickned water in the Sun ten or twelve dayes, in which time you are to let it stand cover'd twelve hours without medling with it, that the root may settle to the bottom; then pour the water off gently and put in clear, stir­ring it up and down that the water and the pouder of the root may mix toge­ther; change the water after the same manner twice a day, during the said ten dayes, at last pour off the water without putting in more, and leave the Ceruse to dry in the Sun; when it is dry, pouder and incorporate it with rosewater (cam­phorated and sented with musk) as much [Page 101]as will suffice to make it into small balls, which you most dry in the Sun and keep in a glass vessel. When you would use them, dissolve them in rosewater to wash your face withal at night, the next mor­ning wash with water of Lillies. This Ceruse is exceeding good to take away all stains, spots and freckles from the face. After the same manner is made the Ce­ruse of the roots of Briony, wild Cu­cumers, Water lillies. Thus much con­cerning the preparation of Ceruses.

Take litharge of silver and gold of each one dram, put them into strong white Wine vinegar, adding camfre and allum of each half a scruple, musk and cloves to sent the Composition; boyle all in a little vinegar, then filtre and keep it; then boyle a little rock allum in water, keep it a part; for your use mingle these two waters together, and bath the face, neck, or breasts.

Take Camfre one dram, allum, borace two drams, oyle of tartar one ounce; all being finely poudred, boyle them in two quarts of rosewater, strein and keep it; 'Tis excellent to whiten the face, neck, or breasts.

Take bitter Almonds peeled one pound and a half, the whites of thirty eggs with their shells, the tender branch of a fig-tree cut into small bits, incorporate them together, and distil them in a glass alem­bick over a gentle fire; adde to the wa­ter which you draw, sugar candy, borace, and camphre, of each one ounce, olibanum two ounces; pounded all small, then still them again; and preserve the water that you draw, as a secret to beautifie either the face or breasts.

CHAP. X. How to fasten the Hair, and keep it from falling off.

HAir (Ladies) is the silken fringe to Beauties bed; or if you will, the slender sleaves that nature spins for Cupid, thereof to weave his heart-surprising nets; if once it fails, that amorous god looses a considerable part of his artillery, and after never acts but weakly for ye: So that it concerns ye, who triumph over intangled Captive [...], to tender its pre­servation. [Page 103]You may keep that you already have, a fast Friend to you, thus:

Take myrtle berries, gals, emblick my­robalans, of each a like quantity boil them in oyle of roses. It is a Receipt as old as Galen, but as good as most, if it doth not succeed, use the next.

Take myrrhe, pine bark, myrtle leaves, maiden hair, pound them together very well, then adde a double quantity of labdanum pounded; put all into white Wine and oyle of Radish seed, anoint the head very well with it going to bed; next morning wash it with this bath: Sorrel leaves, maiden hair, emblick my­robalans, boyle them in water, and adde a little pounded myrrhe; it very much fastens the hair. Or else, Take the leaves of Willow, Plantane, rock Allum, boyle them in water, adding a little poudred Tutty and Myrrhe: make a bath and wash therewith.

Take the juyce of the youngest Myrtle leaves two ounces, juyce of wild Olives four ounces, red Roses dryed two ounces, Roman Wormwood two drams, boyle all these in a quart of white Wine till half be consumed, then strein it, and adde a [Page 104]little poudred labdanum and use it to wash the head.

The golden water drawn from hony in a glasse still is much commended. Or take the leaves and roots of vervaine, put them into oile of green grapes, set them in the sun many daies, then streine it and keep it for your use.

Take an equall quantity of labdanum, wormwood, juniper berries, nigella seeds, vervaine, bind them up in a linnen cloth and macerate them five daies in oile, there is nothing better to fasten the haire; or to make haire grow.

CHAP. XI. Remedies for the want of haire, how to make it grow on any bald place, or there where it never came before.

IF some disaster, Ladies, have trod too hard on your heads, & kild those plea­sant plants that use to flourish there; you may againe attire them with their native beauty and repaire all former ruines thus,

Take marsh mallow seed, boile it in sallet oile 'til it become thick, with this oile anoint the head 6 or 7 times in an houre going to bed; when that is done take what quantitie you please of the same seed, boile it wel with water and wash the head therewith; it makes the haire come exceeding thick, the same effects hath this which follows,

Boile in white wine oile of mastick tree, mirtle and labdanum of each two ounces, maiden haire macerated two days in the same wine four ounces, set them over the fire til the wine be evaporated, after apply it as an ointment to the head.

Nigella romana burnt & incorporated with hony; Bees and Wasps burnt and in­corporated with oile; gals and the ashes of hasel nuts mixt with hony; the kernels of peaches pounded and boiled in vine­gar; the cinders of cantharides, southern­whod, maidenhaire, lilly roots, mixt with bears greace are exceeding good for those that have but thin haire.

Take Euphorbium, laurell berries, rocket seed of each two drams, sulphur vive, white hellebore burnt of each halfe a scruple, make a linement with wax dis­solv'd [Page 106]in oile of laurel; if applyed it will soon supply you with haire.

If you would cause haire to grow on any bald place, do thus; Pound elme roots, boile them in water til there remaine a slimy scum on top, gather that for your use; then rub the bald place with a cloth til it look red, and after anoint it with that scum.

Or take pumice stone beaten exceeding fine, rub the skin therewith so long as you can endure it, then bath it with vinegar, mixt with an equall quantity of nitre, sal armoniack, sulphur vive; your own expe­rience will approve it.

Take barly bread and salt, role them up in parchment, burne them in a crucible and reduce them to a pouder, which make into an ointment with bears grease. It is a secret of nature. Or take canthari­des, fling away the head and feet, rub them on the bald place and so leave them, blisters will rise first and then haire,

CHAP. XII. How to take away haire and keep it from growing againe.

WHen the Lillies and Roses of your Faces Elysium, are oretopt by the hastie growth of superfluous excrescen­cies, you may secure the glorious hue of your beauties pride, and eradicate those aspiring weeds that disturb you, by taking

Quicke lime four ounces, auripigmen­tum one ounce and a half, Florentine iris root one ounce, sulphur, nitre, of each half an ounce, lye made with the ashes of bean stalks one quart; mix all together and boile it so long in a glaz'd earthen pot till putting a pen therein all the fea­thers peel off, then add half an ounce of the oile of spike or any other perfume; and from what part of the body soever you are minded to take away the haire, anoint it with this unguent and in a quar­ter of an hour you shall find the effects; but remember when the haire fals away to anoint with oile of roses.

Take Orpiment and quick lime of each an ounce and a half, the seeds of fleawort and henbane of each half an ounce, subli­mate two drams, ivie gum one dram and a half, opium one scruple, pound all small and steep them in as much common lye as may cover them four fingers, then boile them as the former.

Take quick lime half a pound, steep it in common lye or urine, adde to it half an ounce of orpiment, boile it to the consi­stence of a sirrup. As for the use of the foregoing medicines, you are to foment the place with warme water a little be­fore you apply them; a quarter of an hour after wash with hot water, and when the haire is taken away anoint the place with some cooling oile as oleum rosat, oile of henbane, the ointment of Rhasis camphorated.

After that the haire is taken from any part, if you would keep it from growing againe, take the gall of a Hedghog, the ashes of muscle shels burnt, mix them with bats blood and use it as an ointment. Or else bats blood, the juice of ivy and radish roots, goats gall, mix and use them, or take opium and henbane finely beaten, mix them with vinegar so anoint there­with; [Page 109]any of these will keep the haire from ever growing: the same effects have these following.

Take the blood of Frogs, terra sigillata, sumach, roses of each as much as shall be sufficient, beat them together and steep them in the juice of nightshade for four & twenty hours, then distil them & wash with the water the depilated places.

Take ivie gum, emmets eggs, orpiment, colophonie of each one ounce, leeches burnt half an ounce; grind and mingle them with frogs blood and make an oint­ment.

Take juice of henbane, sanguis draconis, gum arab. frankincense of each three drams, juice of nightshade as much as will suffice to make it into an ointment.

CHAP. XIII. How to make the haire Curle.

TWining curls are now much the mode, and none thought paragons for Beauty, save those whose gracefull locks do reach the breasts and make spe­ctators [Page 110]think those ivory globes of Venus are upheld by the freindly aid of their cri­spie twirls. If any affect the fashion they may serve themselves with these directi­ons so advantagiously, that none shall de­sire to be free that may have the glory to be fetter'd with their curled haire.

Take gall nutts, filings of steel, cipresse leaves, quince seeds as much as you please; quick lime half as much as either of the first, steep them in water wherein rye hath been boiled, let it stand one day, then boile it to the thickness of hony, a­noint the haire therewith and curle it up going to bed.

Boile salt in water, gather the scum thereof & mix it with myrrhe, it is mar­velous in curling the haire.

Some to make their haire curle wind it up going to bed upon a hot Tabacco pipe or iron. Others dissolve gum arabick or mouth glew in water, moistning the haire, with it, afterward they let it dry. Some in­stead thereof use the white of an egge or else beare or ale. But to give you farther & better directions, first rub the haire well with lye or urine, that so it may be washt very clean: then take 20 oak gals, mai­den haire two ounces, and as much salt [Page 111]water boiled to the consistence of hony, worke them all well together, and for two days anoint the haire therewith, on the third wash it with this following Bath.

Boile firn roots, beet leaves of each a like quantity so long in water, till a third part of the water be consum'd, then take it from the fire, put in a little gum arabick and when it is cool use it.

Take oile of fenugreek, oile of white henbane, mix therewith mirrh and gum arabick, and use it for an ointment. Or take beets and mirtle a like quantity, dry them in the shade, powder them, then mingle one ounce of the powder with two ounces of oile olive, and use it as the o­ther.

Take mallow roots, seeds of flax and psyllium, boile them a long time together, strein it and wash the haire therewith. Or make lye with oake ashes, boile there­in nutgals, roots of dane wort, maiden haire, afterwards dissolve therein a little litharge, bole armeniake, gum dragant, wash the haire with it, when it is dryed in, anoint with oile of mirtle.

CHAP. XIV. To make the Haire Lank and flag.

THE bushie forrest of the head is sometimes labarinth'd with mazie and rude maeanders; while the locks them­selves retreat in such recoiling twirls, as if they rook the breasts for a paire of snowie mountaines, and were afraid their tender tops should touch them: they may be forc'd to extend themselves to a pleasing length if you follow these prescripti­ons.

Take oile of lillies, oile of roses, of each one ounce, oile of violets two ounces, green marsh mallows finely beaten three ounces: boile them altogether, anoint the haire throughly therewith, combing it af­terward very well.

Take borage, mallows, beat them small and work them well together with com­mon oile, let them stand together in a warme place a day & a night; next morn­ing put them in an alimbeck, & distil them [Page 113]ore a gentle fire the water that you draw from them, keeps the haire from frisling and makes it flag and smooth,

Take oile of roses four ounces, worke it well together in a great bottle with an e­quall quantity of faire spring water, then anoint the haire, twice a day therewith.

CHAP. XV. To lengthen the Haire.

HAire though an excrement, is yet carefully cherisht as a plant of value: for most fancye it to be the microcosmi­cal flax whereof Cupid twists his bow­strings. To see it (I confesse) in the female sex, of a more then usual length is a plea­sing spectacle, and if therebe any Lady that desire it, she may by these means ef­ffect her wishes.

Use first this unguent, take a wild gourd, hollow it within, fill it with oile of laurel, orpiment, henbane leaves, boile it over the fire and anoint therewith: then use once a week this bath following.

Take agrimony, elm bark, vervaine, boile all in a sufficient quantity of water, till the third part of the water be con­sum'd and wash therewith while it is warme.

Take the hardest and stiffest hony, boile it for some while over the fire, into three pound of this hony, while it is over the fire, breake 20 eggs, take them out when they are hard and put in so many more; at last take onely the yolks of the eggs and beat them with the hony into a past, then put them into an alembick, and with a gentle heat, draw from thence a liquor to wash the haire withall, if you would increase its length.

Take lavender, white saunders, carda­moms, costus of each one ounce, in the spring time steep all these for 24 houres in a pint and a half of the best white wine, then set it on the fire that you may re­ceive the vapour of the decoction up into the haire, afterward wash the head with it.

Take old white lard three pound, mince and beat it small till it come to a past, then distill it in a limbick, and keep the water that arises from it to anoint the haire; it will make the hair of a faire length & soft.

Take willow peel, wormwood and sou­thernwood, dryed roses of each two ounces steep them in a quart of faire water for a night or two, then set it over the fire till a third part of the water be eva­porated, keep it and often wash the haire with it.

Take the ashes of maidenhaire, politrik, reed roots, flax seed; make a lye of all these ashes, wherein dissolve a little myrrhe, adding thereto a third part of whitewine and then use it.

CHAP. XVI. To soften the Haire when too harsh and stiffe.

THE Haire on some hangs like thatch on a country Cottage, and serves more for use then ornament; to secure them from the impetuous injuries of wind and weather, rather then with its soft and tender sleaves, to delight admiring eyes. Such stiff bristles are usual attendants to churlish Corydons, who are represented by nothing better then the parallel [Page 116]emblem of surly swine. Those then who desire a more graceful covering, and and would alter the harsh conceit that o­thers are apt to entertaine of their hoggish natures, may to their great advantage use these directions.

Take the roots of galingale, fig leaves, camomile, melilot, mirtle berries what quantity you please, make thereof a de­coction wherein dissolve salt nitre, and rock allum of each two drams adding the like quantity of pumice stones and cuttle bones; set all over a gentle fire, and while it is warme, bath the head there­with before the fire or else in the Sun.

Take the roots of white and black hel­lebore, briony, birthwort round and long, wake Robin, dry, and then powder them, afterward rub the haire well therewith. Or else make a lye of vine twig ashes, wherein boile the meale of beans, vetches, barly and lupines, streine the lye and adde thereto a little white wine; then use it.

Take Emets eggs, henbane seed, rock allum, psyllium and opium, of each a like quantity, boile them in distilled water of vinegar, bathe the haire wel therewith, when you have done this, make this [Page 117]pouder, Take salt Nitre, four ounces, Pu­mice stone poudred two ounces, Lilly roots and Cuttle bone, of each two drams; beat them all very fine and rub the hair with it. After you have done this, use again the former Decoction.

Take white Saunders and Rhodium, of each two ounces, Myrrhe and white Am­ber, of each two drams, Gentian roots one dram; pouder these, and use it: If it be for any person of quality, you may adde two or three grains of Musk. This Pouder is excellent good for the hair.

CHAP. XVII. Remedies for the Hair when it splits.

VVHen Nature hath spun the slen­der hair to its utmost length, if it be not carefully kept, 'twill be fray'd and ravel'd at ends by sundry accidents, which seem to envy that work they can­not better. Your best provision against such injuries, are these;

When you go to bed, Take Oyle and Water a like quantity, put them into a bottle and incorporate them well toge­ther, anoint the hair well with it going to bed, next morning wash it with this following; Take marsh mallows, fleabane, willow bark, boyle them in spring water, and use it to wash the head. This will keep the hair from splitting, but if it be split already, you must use this:

Take Myrtle and Willow leaves of each two ounces, poudred labdanum six scruples, emblick myrobalans poudred half a dram, oyle of Myrtle four ounces, white wine two ounces; boyle all these over a gentle fire to a consumption of the third part, then use it to anoint the extremities of the hair therewith.

Take the juyce of Willow leaves and Myrtle leaves, of each one ounce, boyle and evaporate half a way, after adde poudred labdanum one ounce, then mix all with oyle of myrtle; keep it for your hair.

CHAP. XVIII. To make the Hair of what colour you please.

YEllow Hair was much in request a­mong the antients, whence the Poet Forma placet nivensque color flavique ca­pilli. Yet now this colour is loaded with obloquies; for 'tis a fancy generally re­ceived, that the locks can never sparkle with golden flames without, except there be some cherishing heat of lust within: so that of late Black is more the fashion, be­ing lookt upon as a quality congregating not the sight only, but hearts and affecti­ons too.

CHAP. XIX. How to cleanse the Hair of Scurffe or Dandruffe.

DAndruffe or Scurffe is a mealy dust, that over-clouds the hair of the Head, Brows, and Beard: It proceeds from corrupted serous humors, which by reason of their acrimony, corrode the cuticle from the subjacent skin, and fret it into little pieces like bran. Those who are subject to this distemper, if they would ease themselves, must use this me­thod.

If the body abound with ill humors, first purge it with some convenient medi­cine, afterward wash the head, or other part affected, with this Lye; Take the ashes of the roots of Beets and Cole­worts, make a lixivium therewith, where­in boyl Lupins and Beans, a sufficient quan­tity; then strein the Decoction, and add [Page 124]a sixth part of Honey. When the Head hath been well washt with this, dry it carefully with a warm course cloth, then anoint it with this Unguent:

Take bitter Almonds lightly heated in an oven, old Walnuts, of each six ounces, Sulphur half an ounce, Vitriol two drams, Honey of Squills two ounces, the dregs of old Wine three ounces; make it into a Liniment for your use with red Wax.

Take the ashes of Figtree, boyl them in water and vinegar till the third part be consumed; then adde Lupines and Beans, boyle them again till a third part be con­sumed, take it from the fire, strein and use it. Or boyle the roots of wild Cu­cumers in vinegar, to the consistence of honey, anoint the Head with it all o­ver.

Take Ox gall and salt, temper them with the juyce of Beets, anoint there­with two or three dayes; Then wash with this following Lye: Take the strongest vinegar and fair water, two pound; set it over the fire, and when it begins to boyle, put in a little Salt and flowers of Camomile, wash the head of­ten therewith.

Take oyle of Rue one pound, Sope one ounce, Salt finely beaten half an ounce; work them together into one mass; then wash with this following:

Boyle Beets, Fengreek, Briony roots, Bean meale, in fair spring water, set all together over the fire till half be boyled away; then take it off, and when it is coole use it to bath the head withal.

CHAP. XX. How to beautifie the Forehead.

THE Forehead is the Ivory throne where Beauty sits in state, it must therefore be smooth, and raised to a decent height; for if it be too low, 'tis much be­neath the grandure of her commanding majesty; and if furrowed with wrinkles, it will put her too much in mind of hu­mane frailty, to let her take a pleasing recreation there.

To make the Forehead high, eradicate the hairs which incroach too much upon its bo [...]nds, thus, Take as much Mastick as you shall have occasion to use, steep it in [Page 126]warm water till it be so soft, that you can spread it upon a filler, then bind that fillet to the Forchead all night, and in the mor­ning twitch it off. So you may take hair from any part of the body. And when they are thus pul'd away, that they grow not again, use these medicines:

Take a pretty quantity of Henbane seed, wrap it in a Colewort lease, and roast it under the cinders; then beat it in a mor­tar and press out the liquor; adde to it a little Orpiment poudred, and make thereof a Liniment to apply to the part.

Or else, Take the gall of an Eele, mix it with oyle of Roses, or the blood of a Bat, and use it. Or, Take quick Lime, Lizards dung, boyl them in an equal quan­tity of vinegar and oyle of Henbane, till the vinegar be consumed, make it into an Unguent for your use.

To smooth and pollish the Forehead when it is wrinkled, Take the shavings of Hartshorn, boyl them in water till there come a kind of oyliness on top, with the scum of the water, and Bean meal, make a paste, which you must make into small balls. Keep the water wherein you did boyl the Hartshorn, and when you have [Page 127]occasion to use it, dissolve so many little balls in a small quantity of the water, as will make it into the thickness of a Cear­cloth; apply it to the Forehead all night, and in the morning when you take it off, wash with warm water. Use this me­thod often.

Or else, Take your whitest Mutton suet, wash it half a score times in cold water, mix it with the froth of whites of eggs made in a mortar, beating them together with a Pestle and a little butter; then add a little Mastick and Frankincense beaten to pouder, and anoint the face often therewith.

CHAP. XXI. How to beautifie, and adorne the Brows.

THe two Brows are Cupids groves of pleasure, where he shelters himself from the too violent heat of the inflaming eyes. Or rather as a controuling Intelli­gence made superintendant to the Chry­stal Sphares below him, he keeps his re­sidence [Page 128]there, that he might with the more facility direct their beamy influen­cies, when and whither he pleases. You may, Ladies, by these means make them beautiful.

If the hairs on the brows grow too thick, or irregular, you may pull them up by the rootr with a pair of mullets, and afterward use those means which we have formerly described to keep the hair from growing.

If the brows themselves fall too low o­ver the eyes, You must work a little Ma­stick together with the joyce of Cole­worts; and going to bed, put the brow up into its place, and apply the Mastick to it all night in form of a Plaister.

When the hair sheds from the brows, the use of those things is good which we have already given you to fasten the hair. Or else, Take the small filings of Lead, and incorporate them with Goose grease to anoint the brows withal. Or if ye please, Take black Henbane seed two drams, Maiden hair one dram, unguentum irinum three spoonfuls, bruise what is to be bruised, afterward make it up with oyle into the form of an Unguent to a­noint the brows withal, after you have first [Page 129]bathed them with water wherein Myrtle berries have been boyled.

The hair that is fallen from the brows, may be made to come again, if you burn Bees or Wasps, and mix them with Ho­ney; but have a care you touch no other place, for wheresoever it lights, it makes the hair grow.

If the Eyebrows are of a reddish or white colour, you may make them of a lovely black by these means:

Take red Filberds, what quantity you please, calcine them thoroughly in an ear­then vessel, or crucible, work them to­gether with Goats grease, anoint the hair therewith, and if it foul the skin, wash it off with warm water: This will make the brows very black. The same effect hath this which follows:

Take Maiden hair poudred one ounce, Labdanum two ounces; beat them well together with Bears grease, and rub the brows therewith. Many use black Lead only to rub the brows withal, and if ye do it without soyling the skin, 'twill give them a very pleasing dark colour.

CHAP. XXII. Remedies for Inflammation, Bloodshot, or Spots in the Eyes, and yellow­ness of the Eye-lids.

SParkling eyes are the starry jewels of a Heavenly face, which with their active influence, and amorous motions rule the restless fate of every Lover: When once those twinkling twins make break of day through their inclosing lids, their piercing beams of glory amuze spe­ctators, and make them pay a tributary devotion to those Chrystal Orbs from whence they flow. The beauty of the eyes is much impaird by inflammations, bloodshot, duskie spots, which much ec­clipse and cloud their splendour. Such vices may thus be remedied:

If the eyes be inflamed, you are first to begin with a good dyet, and never eat or drink any thing that may send fumet to the head; then you must be careful either to evacuate or divert that humour which causeth the malady, by purging, blood-letting, drawing blisters in the neck, In the next place, apply them that [Page 131]may alter and digest the humour, if it be hot. it is to be done with cold things; as Fndive, Purslaine, Nightshade, Rosewater, Womans milk. If it be a cold rhume that falls into the eye, boyle Laurel leaves in white Wine, bind them in form of a Plai­ster to the eye, or make a Pultice of Ce­londine with white Wine, apply it to the eye, it both easeth the pain, and takes a­way inflammation. Or, Take Rue and Fennel roots, beat them well in a mortar; then boyle them in white Wine and bath the eyes with the Decoction.

If the pain and pricking be extream, Take the white of an egge, beat it toge­ther with some Poppy water. You may make a very good Plaister for all inflam­mations thus, Take an equal quantity of Saffron, Myrrhe, Opium, gum Arabick; pouder and dissolve them in Rosewater, make a Plaister and dry it, and when you have occasion, soften it with Rosewater or the white of an Egge.

When the pupil or sight of the eye is covered with any spot, after you have purged the body, bath the eyes with Li­quor pressed from Sowes or Wood lice, being bruised in a mortar, and in lesse then thirty dayes, it will be taken away. [Page 132]Or, apply to the eye a bag full of cummin seed steep in warme white wine.

Take prepared tuttie, sugar candie, ginger of each one dram, sarcocol, white tartar of each two drams, muske half a scruple; powder, sift and mix them altoge­ther, and put now and then a little of it in the eye.

Take the seeds of fennel, parsly, wild parsnip, anise, carroway, roots of celen­dine, sorrell, betony, leaves of agrimony, tormentil, rue, vervaine of each a like quantity, pound them all, and the first day steep them in white wine, the second in womans milk, on the third distil them: keep the liquor close stopt in a vessel, and put two drops of it into the eye every day, it will take away all spots whatever.

To help the eyes when they are blood­shot, take green wormwood pound and mix it with the white of an egge, bind it warm to the eye; the second time that it is applyed it will core you. Mix the crum of warm white bread, with the yolke of an egge, shut the eye and lay it upon it. Or soake unwasht wool in an equal quan­titie of oile of violets, whites of egs, juice of rue and apply it to the eye.

If the lower lid of the eye in the cavi­tie of it be of a tawny swarthy colour, you may by these meanes remedie it. First let the Physitian remove the principall cause, then take oile of fenugreek and anoint the discoloured places with all. Or else anoint them with the oile of Cedar, which is exceeding good to take away such ill colours. Take some Pomegranate peels and presse them, anoint the lids with the juice, and twill make them returne to their former colour.

CHAP. XXIII. To alter the ill colour of the eyes and how to make them bigger or lesse.

ALL colours do not equally grace the eyes: they are Cupids torches, that should shine with a splendent flame, and never burne too blew; which is a co­lour lookt upon as fatal, and never more aptly plac'd then in Bellonas (Mars's grim­lookt sisters) eye. Neither againe do all dimensions suit with their office; they are [Page 134] Cupids chrystall quivers, and must not be too big for that litle archer, nor yet so small as not to containe his magazeen of shafts. Those that have eyes of an ill co­lour, if they would have them black let them take

Antimony wash'd and dryed five ounces, lapis lazuli one ounce, musk, camfre of each three graines, wood of aloes two ounces, frankincense three ounces, saffron halfe an ounce: make a very fine powder of all these, at night when you goe to bed put a little of it into the eyes, in the morning they wil be black as if they had been so naturally.

Gioranni Marienallo an Italian, saith he hath often made proof of this which was communicated to him by an Armenian. Take acacia, gals of each an equal quan­tity, powder them exceeding small, then mix them with the juice of anemonie or wind flower, making it up in the thickness of hony, then passe it through a streiner and keep it for your use in a glass.

The same Author exceedingly com­mends this following. Take henbane flowers, dry them in the shade and keep them: when you have occasion to use them put them into white wine and bath [Page 135]the eyes therewith, it will make them black.

If the eyes be too little through the wasting of the whole body or any other distemper, have respect to the humour which causeth it and purge that, after­ward bath them frequently with a spunge dipt in warme water or in womans milk newly come from the brest.

If they are too big and beare too large a proportion to other parts, make an issue behind in the neck, purge the head and body, drink water, and abstaine as much as can be from meats that are strongly nou­rishing. After this take cotton, anoint it with hony mixt together with saffron, bind it over the eyes going to bed, and often wash them with cold water and salt.

CHAP. XXIV. To make the Lips ruddie.

PAleness when once it affects the lips, makes the world believe, that those rubie portals of the mouth, have lost their [Page 136]varnish by being too much knockt at▪ Those Ladies whose lips lye under such a suspicion, may beutifie them witha corall complexion, thus

Take the juice of briony, wild cucu­mers, reeds, rose water of each one ounce, clarified hony four ounces, boile all toge­ther, strein it and keep it in a glasse: it is exceeding good to anoint the lips and gives them a ruddie and vermilion hue.

Take the shavings of your deepest co­loured brasil three ounces, make them into a very fine powder, steep it three daies in three pints of faire spring water, then adde fix drams of icthyocolla or fish glew bruised and minc'd, let it stand til it be­comes soft and dissolves, then set it over the fire againe and adde grana tinctoria (chermes berries) foure ounces, rock allum one ounce, borace three drams, boile all these til half be consumed, streine it and in a glasse vessel keep it close stopt eight daies, before you use it. It gives a very ami­able redness to pale or blue parts, whether lips or cheeks, that which you put on at one time will last 8 daies, in which time it will not be done off either by sweat or water.

Take fine filings of brazil two ounces, madder one ounce, Chermes berries half an ounce, infuse them in strong white wine the space of four dayes then adde half an ounce of rock allum and boile al­together to a consumption of half, filtre it and keep it for your use. It is of very great efficacy to vermilionize either the lips or cheeks. Of the like virtue is that which follows

Take rock allum, fish glue of each one ounce, shavings of brasil two ounces, steep all three daies in faire water, then boile them, strein them and put them in a glass to use at your pleasure. It will make any pale or blewish part, to be very faire and lively ruddie.

CHAP. XXV. How to smooth the Lips when they are rough and chapt.

WHen those pretty sister Rubies, have been kist too hard, either by a chilly and cold mouth'd Boreas, or a scorching and hot lipt Sol; to repaire the [Page 138]breaches such rude embraces make on their cherrie Skins, use these things fol­lowing Ladies, they will make them seem such smooth and blushing wax, as Cupid will think himself honourd to imprint his kisses on.

Take Stags suet two pound, fresh lard six ounces, wash them often in white wine, then worke them well together till all the white wine be pressed out, then put it in­to an earthen glazed vessel. adding nardus Indicus three graines, cloves half an ounce, nutmegs two drams, seven or eight pippins pard, cord and slic'd, steep all these one whole day in a sufficient quantity of rose water, then keeping it covered, set it over a gentle fire, stirring it up and down with a woden spatula till all the rose water be evaporated, strein it through a thick cloth into a clean vessel half full of rose wa­ter; let it stand till the suet be cold, and swim on the top of the water, then put it againe into an earthen pot, adding oile of sweet almonds six ounces, Virgins wax four ounces, melt all these over the fire, strein it againe into rose water through a thick cloth, let it as before stand till it is cold, then take that off which swims on the top of the rose water [Page 139]and wash it well in some sented water till it be as white as snow; then keep it for your use in a dry place that it do not mould. Some adde to this pomatum, coral finely powdred to make it the more drying; others adde juice of alkanet to give it a vermilion colour; there is no­thing better then this for any chaps what­ever.

Make an ointment of oile of roses and a little wax anoint the lips therewith, or champ a little gum tragagant in your mouth and afterward moisten your lips with your tongue.

Take oile of violets, mucilage of quince seeds, hens fat of each one ounce, litharge and gum dragant of each one dram, make them into an ointment and apply it to the lips. All fats and marrows are very good.

Take the mucilage of quince seeds, oile of mastick of each one ounce, goose fat, beef marrow of each half an ounce, a little new white wine, make these up into an ointment with as much wax as shall suf­fice. Or take a fine linnen ragg dip it in the juice of housleek, and apply it to the lips. Michael Nostredame a Frenchman much commends cotton dipt in common oile [Page 140]and laid to the navel going to bed. It is an easie thing and soon tryed.

CHAP. XXVI. Remedies for such vices as are incident to the Nose.

BEauty is a nice & cleanly Dame, that loves to have the nose (though but the sink to convey filth from the braine) kept neat and handsome, as well as the other parts which are designd for more honourable uses.

Stanch and snivell do very much im­paire the credit of this patt. The stanch of the nostrils proceeds sometimes from a fool stomack; for if the kitchin be nastie the chimny seldome sinels well, if this be the cause, you must have recourse to the Physitian. But sometimes the fault is in the nose it self, as when it is affected with some fore or ulcer, then you may follow this method.

Take Calamus Aromaticus, damask roses, galingale, lavender, reduce all into a fine powder, then sift it and snuff it up into the [Page 141]nostrils. Or take one scruple of London Theriacle, dissolve it in white wine and draw it severall mornings up into the nose.

Take Roses, Cloves, lignum aloes of each two drams, Spicknard one dram, Musk two graines, pouder what is to be pou­dred and make them all into a past, with the best white wine, and so make them in­to little pils; when you would use them, dissolve one in a little rose water and drop it into the nostrils, but first wash the nose well with white wine, wherein roses and lavander have been boiled; this will both cure the distemper & cause a sweet breath.

If the nose be to much charged with snivell; the frequent use of gentle clysters and vomits is very good. Or else anoint the head with some heating oile, if it be a cold distillation; and with a cooling oile, if it be a hot. When you go to bed, rub the feet with pitch dissolv'd in oile, and wash the nose in wine, wherein put a little poudred myrrhe; By the use of these things you may sufficiently purge the dregs, which distil from the beake of your dropping Alembick.

CHAP. XXVII. How to fasten, cleanse, and preserve the Teeth.

LEast the Microcosme might be sup­prized by any treacherous invader, the teeth are set as ivory Portcullis's to guard its entrance. Or rather Nature hath made the sharpset teeth as so many mincing knives to belong to her kitchin, the Stomack: If they happen through a­ny mischance to be rusted over, the best way to scour them, will be every morn­ing to rub the teeth with poudred Tar­tar, after wash them with white Wine, if it be in the spring; or with cold water if it be in the summer.

Take rock Allum, Salt, Nitre, of each four ounces, pound and dissolve them in Vinegar, then distil them: to one ounce of this water adde juyce of limmons three ounces, and rub the teeth therewith.

Take rock Allum burnt, poudred coral, Sanguis draconis, Pumice stone, pouder them all pretty fine, and rub the teeth [Page 143]therewith. Or, Take white Coral, Cuttle bone, white Tartar, dryed roots of Florentine iris, of each a like quantity, a little burnt Allum: Make of them all a fine pouder, and keep it dry to rub the teeth.

Take calein'd Salt three drams, Galin­gale two drams, Hartshorne burnt four drams, flowers of Schoenanthum and Ro­ses dryed, one dram; make them into a Pouder to rub the teeth with. If the teeth be very black, you may touch them slightly with oyle of Sulphure or Vitriol, but not too often.

When the teeth are loose, your best way to fasten them, will be to Take Galls, Pomegranate flowers, Cyperus, Roses, Sumach, a like quantity of each; Take half the quantity of these in rock Allum, pouder all, and rub the teeth and gums therewith.

Or else, Take Galls one ounce, Myrrhe half an ounce, Pomegranate bark one scruple; boyle them in vinegar, and make a Gargarisme to wash the mouth. Some dissolve Allum in vinegar to wash the mouth withal.

To keep the teeth from rotting, Take calcin'd Hartshorne, cypress leaves, of each [Page 144]one dram, Cinkfoyle roots two drams, Maiden hair burnt one dram, Rose leaves a dram and a half; bring all into a pouder and use it as a Dentifrice to rub the teeth with. It makes them white, and keeps them sound. If the teeth are already rotten and corroded, Take Opium, Myrrhe, Storax, of each one dram, white Pepper, Galbanum, Saffron, of each half a dram, beat them together and apply them to the corroded tooth.

Or, Take Pepper, Pellitory of Spain, juyce of Spurge, Galbanum, of each a like; mix altogether, and put it into the rotten tooth.

Boyle Sage leaves in wine, wash the teeth well therewith; then, Take black Hellebore, mix it with Honey, and put it into the hollow tooth. Others only put burnt Allum into it, and find much good by it.

CHAP. XXVIII. To Sweeten the Breath.

WHen your breath, Ladies, by rea­son of exulcerated Lungs or rotten Teeth, sends forth a stanch more noy­some then old Saturns sweaty socks, make your application to these following medi­cines, and you shall embalm the air with so rare a sent, that all the aromatick fumes of Flora's garden, shall never enrich it with a more delicious sweetness.

Take Cloves, Nutmegs, Cinnamon, of each one ounce, Mace, sweet Saunders, of both half an ounce, Wood of Aloes an ounce and a half, Musk half a dram; after you have poudred these, make them up (with Rosewater, Sugar, and gum Tragant) into small bullets, to hold in the mouth.

Take wood of Aloes, Galingale, Myrtle leaves, three sorts of Myrabolans prepa­red, Cinnamon, Mace, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmegs, Cardamoms, Laurel berries, of each two drams, Musk, Amber, Cam­fre, of each half a dram, Sugar two ounces; make all into a pouder, and take [Page 146]one dram thereof in a morning; it is ex­ceeding good to strengthen the Stomack, and sweeten the breath.

Or else, Take gum Tragant one ounce, Sanguis Draconis two drams; sleep them two dayes in Rosewater, then put them into a mortar, adding an ounce of Sugar, Starch half an ounce, Musk dissolved in Rosewater one scruple; pound them well, then mix them together with a Spatula, and make them up into little pellets as big as barley corns, dry them, and after that they are thoroughly dryed, put one now and then into your mouth, and let it dis­solve.

Take Cinnamon half an ounce, cloves two drams, nutmegs, mace, citron pill, of each one dram, Florentine iris, the lesser galingale, of each half a dram, yellow Saunders, wood of Aloes, of each one scruple, ambergreece, musk, of each half a scruple; steep them when they are pou­dred in a quart of the best Malmsey Wine ten or twelve dayes, then strein it through a woollen cloth, afterward put it into a Bottle, and keep it close stopt for your use. Take a spoonful or two of it in the morning fasting; it sweetens the breath [Page 147]exceedingly, and strengthens the heart and stomack.

If the breath be infected by rotten teeth, Take the best Styrax two drams, sweet Asa one dram, the best iris root half a dram, gallia moschata, yellow saun­ders, of each one scruple: Distil'd oyle of Roses half a scruple, mix them; and with a little gum tragant, dissolved in cinnamon water, make a mass; out of which you may form little long pills to put into the hollow teeth.

When the breath smells of Garlick, O­nyons, or any thing else that is eaten, Take coriander seeds, or zedoary, chew them in the mouth, and drink a good draught of Wine after, it will take away the sent of any thing that was eaten before. The same effect hath Mint if it be chewed in the mouth. Fennel seeds, or Galingale champt after the drinking of Wine, takes away the smell of the Wine; so do sour Apples and Quinces.

CHAP. XXIX. How to beautifie the Neck.

NOthing more commends the Neck for comely, than to be white and smooth; for 'tis a part usually exposed to sight, and ought to represent a Pillar of pollisht ivory, that supports the head with a lustre becoming that place where the understanding seats his throne. It is usually impaird by Kernels, Kings evil, hard Tumours, and Swellings.

For Kernels (which usually breed in those places where the emunctuaries of the nobler parts are) if they come in the neck, (after the body hath been purged, and the Cephalicke veine opened in the arm) apply mollifying and discussive Fo­mentations, with spunges dipt in strong vi­negar, then apply a Plaister of Oxycroce­um, adding a little gum ammoniac, bdelli­um, sagapenum, opoponax, pouder of euphorbium.

For the Cure of the Kings evil, the pouder of Sarsaparilla, drunk to the quan­tity of half a dram, for forty dayes, mor­ning and evening, in white Wine, availes [Page 149]marvellously. The like operation have all your nitrous and vitriolick waters; for an external Plaister, you may use Empla­strum divinum. In Autumne, Take the root of Scrofulary, beat it together with fresh butter, put it into an earthen vessel well covered in a moist place, leave it so fifteen dayes, then melt the butter over a gentle fire, strein it and use it to anoint the place. Take a live Mole skin'd, three or four Serpents skins, the roots of Scro­fulary, Solomons seal, Briony, wild Cu­cumers, of each three ounces, boyl them together in an equal part of wine and wa­ter, so long till the liquor be evaporated; adde at last, a little white VVine vinegar; first anoint the place with two spunges dipt in strong vinegar, and applyed as hot as you can endure: then make use of the ointment.

The swellings and tumours of the Neck, (I mean those which arise betwixt the skin and the aspera arteria) are thus to be ordered.

First, purge the body with Cephalick Pills: use a drying and temperate dyet: Then, Take sal gem. amber, allum burnt, cuttle bone, nutgalls, long and black pep­per, cinnamon, ginger, pellitory of Spain, [Page 150]of each half an ounce; pouder all very fine, and adde four ounces of Rosewater. Take every morning, in the waine of the Moon, a spoonful of this pouder, and so continue using it with your meat: when it is gone, make it again and use it.

Foment the place with the Decoction of Briony, wild Cucomers, Beets, Sage, Camomile, Melilot. Or put them all in­to a bag, and apply them as hot as the Pa­tient can endure; then put on the part af­fected a plaister of diachylum, to which you may adde euphorbium, sulphur, verdi­greece.

If the beauty of the Neck be any whit impaired by Freckles, Spots, Wrinkles, or Leannesse; you may use the same re­medies which we have before prescribed for these Maladies, in the Tenth and Twelfth Chapters of the First Part; and the Second and Sixt in this Second Part.

CHAP. XXX. How to keep the Breasts from growing too big, and to make them plumpe and round.

YOur care, Ladies, to preserve the the Beauty of these parts, must not be inferiour to that, wherewith you cherish any: for the Breast must be made remarkable with an outvying splendour, that so the graceful rising of those snowy hills, might like a pair of stately promon­tories, tempt wandring Lovers, and make them take your Microcosms for the only fortunate Islands. If ye sear they will grow too big, ye may be these means keep them within their bounds.

Put as much pounded Cummin seed in­to water as will suffice to make it into the consistence of a plaister; bind it when you are young, somewhat streight to the paps, with a fillet dipt in water and vine­gar, letting it remain three dayes, then take away the Cummin, and apply the roots of white Lillies, incorporated with water, bind it likewise to the breast pret­ty [Page 152]streight, and keep it on other three dayes. Use this plaister often.

Bath the paps with Rosewater and vi­negar, whereto you may adde a little Camfre and Tutty. Or, pouder rock Allum, mix it with oyle of Roses, and a­noint the paps with it. Or with oyle of Myrtle, and juyce of Henbane mixt to­gether. Some use to drink in their beer, half a score grains of Hares dung to keep the breasts from growing too big.

If the Breasts have already exceeded their dimensions, the dyet that you use, must be more sparing and drying, that there be not too great plenty of blood; care must likewise be had, to draw the blood downwards from the breasts. Ye may apply this, to hinder the breasts from receiving too much blood,

Take the juyce of Hemlock, with the water of Myrtle & Prunella, a small quan­tity of Vinegar and Allum, dip a linnen cloth therein, and apply it to the breasts.

When the Breasts are flaccid, and hang down too low, you may make them round and plump thus; Take Quinces, green Grapes a like quantity, beat them well together; adde a little bole, [Page 153]seed of Plantane, Annis, Fennel, Cum­min; with the juyce of Plantane and vi­negar mixt; spread it upon the breasts in form of a Plaister. The same effects have dryed Figs, incorporated well with Cummin and a little vinegar. You may likewise dissolve Pitch, mix it together with oyle, and apply it to the breasts.

CHAP. XXXI. Remedies for Inflammations or Hard­ness of the Breasts, and chaps in the Nipples.

WHEN some intestine heat impairs the radiant whiteness of those snowy hills; or curdles the milky nectar of the breasts, into such a hard and compacted thickness, that not being able to get forth, it must of necessity lye and generate sharp corroding streams, which fret the tender out-lets of Cupids fountains: Ye may, Ladies, in this Chap­ter furnish your selves with recuring re­medies.

For your Breasts, when they are first Inflamed, Take the green leaves of Plan­tane, Mallows, of each four handfuls, Earth-worms newly prepared, six hand­fuls, oyle of Roses three ounces, oyle of Camomile and Mellilot, of each one ounce, Barley meale three ounces, boyle all these together; and with a sufficient quantity of this Decoction, adding Bdellium dis­solved in vinegar, two drams; make a Plaister, and apply it to the breasts. Or else,

Take the crum of white bread, Barley meal, of each one ounce and a half, the meal of Beans and fengreek, of each half an ounce, Roses, and the flowers of Camo­mile poudred, of each two drams; boyle them, then adde rose vinegar one ounce, oyle of Camomile and Roses, of each one ounce; make it into a Pultiss, and apply it.

Take the leaves of Lettuce, Purslane, of each one handful, red Roses half a handful; boyle them in water, and adde to the Decoction, two ounces of vinegar; dip cloths therein, and apply them to the breasts: If great pain doth accompany the Inflammation, you may use this as a singular remedy, Take Album Graecum, [Page 155]powder it very fine, make it into a plaister with white wine, or vinegar, and apply it warme to the breasts.

Sometimes there is hardnesse in the breasts which accompanies the inflamma­tion, in such a case take bean & barly meal of each one handful, the meale of the seed of flax & fenugreek of each half a handful, the oile of roses three ounces, saffron one scruple, mix them together and make an ointment.

If after this, the paps remaine hard, ap­ply some repercussive medicines, that the breasts may not draw more blood then they can digest: anoint the breasts and under the armpits with this medicine, take bole arm. one ounce, with a sufficient quantity of oile of roses, of myrtle, and vinegar make an unguent. To the paps apply this discussive cataplasme; take dry mint two handfuls, worme wood one hand­full, boile them to marsh, strein them, add the meal of beanes, lupines, of each half an ounce, make a pultis with the oile of lillies and apply it. If the blood be curd­led, dissolve it with this, take smallage four ounces, oxymel two ounces, meal of red vetches & lupins of each two ounces, make them into a cataplasme.

When the paps are subject to chaps and clefts use things mollifying and atte­nuating; before the milke come to the breasts: wherefore it will be good for married Ladies before they lye in, to use some mollifying poultises, or to anoint the paps with wax workt well together with oile or fresh lard. Or else take

Bole arm. myrrh of each half a dram, ceruse two scruples, with a sufficient quan­tity of Ducks fat, make an unguent for the paps. Or else you may anoint them with oile of sweet almonds. The pomatum de­scribed in the 25 chap. of this Part is ex­ceeding good in this case.

CHAP. I. To remedie sweating of the Armpits, and other inconveniences pro­ceeding thence.

SOmething is seems of miracle, that Ladies armes should keep those they once incircle such fast prisoners, that few of them are ever known to regaine their former freedome. Nothing inferiour to Cupids magick spels, they never surround any, but by their inchantments work on them so strange a metamorphosis, that they leave them nothing may speak them men, but humane shape. If any Ladie find that her embraces have no such powerfull charms, she may justly suspect there is something that frights the amarous ver­mine from the bait, before they have leisure to be intoxicated. Such sents are thus remov'd.

After the body hath been purged, use a bath made with bawme, mirtle, laven­der and other herbs of a good sent in wine or water, wherewith bath the places af­fected. or else bath them with wine and rose water wherein you have boiled [Page 159]allum, myrrhe, calamus aromaticus, lignum aloes, cloves.

If you bath the armpits with any sort of allum dissolv'd in water, it will condense the pores, and hinder the sweat from streining through the skin. Or else you may often wash the arm pits with white wine wherein nutmegs or mace have been boiled, or wherein three graines of musk have been dissolved; it hinders the transpiration of sweat and gives a pleasing odour to the body.

Monsieur Liebault a French man ad­viseth to keep this pomander under the armpits. Take Styrax calamite, ladanum, benjamin of each half a dram, cloves, mace, lignum aloes, lavender flowers of each half a scruple, musk one graine, with gum tragagant dissolvd in rose water and a little turpentine make them up for use.

As for internall remedies to alter the ill constitution of your bodies, I would commend this to ye; Take the best Mar­malade of quinces two ounces, candid gin­ger one ounce, green calamus aromaticus preserved, half an ounce, nutmegs, cassia lignea, the lesser galingale, mace, of each one dram, the seeds of coriander prepa­red, of bishops weed of each half a dram, [Page 160]oile of Cloves and Cinnamon of each one scruple, the whitest sugar dissolv'd in cin­namon water one pound, mix all these, and according to art make them into pectoral lozenges; a dram whereof taken in a morn­ing doth wonderfully strengthen a cold stomack, repair a decayed complexion, and utterly take away all foetid fumes that use to exhale from the body.

CHAP. II. For Chaps and Warts in the Arms or Hands.

YOur Alabaster Armes and Hands Ladies, are the fleshie altars where­on your superstitious Inamorato's offer to you, as female Deities the first fruits of their devotion in zealous kisses. Your care should be to keep them in such a soul-inchanting symmetrie, that might confirm your Idolizing lovers in the opinion they have conceived, that you are more then mortal.

If the hands or armes are chapt, in the morning as soon as you are up, bath the chaps with spittle, then anoint them [Page 161]with Capon or Duck grease well washt with rose water. Or else take a little ma­stick finely powdred, incorporate it with oile of roses and white wax; you may likewise mix poudred mastick with the white of an egg, and anoint the chapt pla­ces with it. Or take

Olibanum, mastick, of each two drams, oile of roses, new wax and Capons grease, of each half an ounce, make them into an unguent and use it. If the chaps proceed from heat, take hens grease and camfre, mix them to anoint the chaps withall e­very night, in the morning wash with bran and water: if the hands are chapt with cold use this, Litharge of silver, mirrhe, ginger powdred, a like quantity of each; mix them with oile of roses and new wax, make an unguent, first bath the chaps with spittle, then anoint with this oint­ment, let it lye on all night, in the morn­ing wash with warme water, it heals the chaps and makes the skin faire and cleare.

To free your self from warts, apply to them a plaister of Cantharides, but let it touch no part else, and it will eat them a­way by little and little. Or bath them often with the milke that issues from the figtree.

Take Litharge one pound, quick Lime half a pound, sal Armoniac half an ounce, common Vitriol three drams; boyle all in water to the consumption of three parts of the water, then strein it, and bath the Warts therewith.

The best way is to touch them with oyle of Vitriol, very slightly; for if you lay on any great quantity, it will quickly eat to the bone. Warts, when they come first, and are tender, may be removed with black Soap, mixt with burnt Salt, salt of Nitre, milk of Spurge, juyce of Ce­londine, juyce of wild Cucumers, pouder of Cantharides. Some rub them with a piece of raw Beef, and afterwards bury it. Others use Marigold leaves.

CHAP. III. How to make the Hands fair and white, and to lessen the Veins when they appear too big.

IF any Lady be already the Cynosure to neighbouring eyes, and would be elevated to the highest altitude in peoples aestimation, besides the attractive lure of [Page 163]a pleasing face, she ought to have hands, whose radiant whiteness might dazle spe­ctators eyes, that so they might go on blindfolded in the fond humour of admi­ring her. And then I dare secure her, men will be such close captives to her im­perious tyranny, that she need never fear being disdain'd by any apostate Lover. The best means to bring the hands to such a lillied splendour, follow here:

Take the pressings of sweet and bitter Almonds, which remain after the Oyle is drawn from them, of each four ounces, Bean meal two ounces, your finest French Barley, ground and sifted, meal of Lupins, of each an ounce and an half, pouder of Florentine iris one ounce, red Roses dry­ed, Benjamin, of each six drams, salt of white Tartar, the whitest Chalk washt and prepared, burnt ivory, fresh sperma coeti, of each half an ounce, oyle of Rhodium one scruple, oyle of Cloves and Lavander, of each half a scruple; mix them all well together, and with a little of the mixture often rub and wash the hands: it is of an excellent sent, and makes the hands ex­ceeding white, smooth, and soft.

Take Venice Soap dissolved in juyce of Limmons one pound, white virgin Honey [Page 164]four ounces, prepared Sublimate, white Sugar candy, the roots of Florentine iris, of each one ounce, salt of white Tartar, whitest sperma coeti, Sugar, allum, Veneti­an borace, of each half an ounce, true sen­ted Balsame of Peru two drams, gallia mos­chata one dram, oyle of Rhodium, Cin­namon, Cloves, of each one scruple. Use the mixture to wash and rub the hands withal. It is of the same efficacy with the former.

Take Venice Soap, what quantity you please, cut it in small pleces, set them so long to dry in the Sun, that you may bring them into a pouder. Afterward, Take one pound of this pouder, iris root, and Saunders poudred, of each four ounces, starch six ounces; beat them altogether in a mortar, adding liquid storax, and oyl of benjamin, what quantity you please; a­noint the hands with this Composition, and it will marvelously whiten, smooth, and sent them.

Take half a pound of Figs, as many Rai­sins of the Sun ston'd, and a like quantity of bitter Almonds, beat them all several­ly in a mortar, as small as you can, then mix them together, adding two Limmons par'd and minc'd, and two good handfuls [Page 165]of Bean meal, boyle all these in a pinte of white Wine vinegar, stirring them con­tinually; when it hath boyled so long that it sticks no more to the Posnet, then put it forth into a gally pot, and keep it; use some quantity of it to scour your hands every time you wash.

Take Labdanum four ounces, Styrax ca­lam. three ounces, Benjamin two ounces, put them into a brazen mortar heated, work them together with a hot Pestle till they are pretty soft, adde poudred Soap two pound, then strew thereon liquid Storax two ounces, make it into a Com­position with a little Rosewater, and keep it to scour your hands.

Take Starch, meale of Beans, Lupins, Rice, iris roots, of each four ounces; pou­der them very small, searce them, and then mix them together; when you wash your hands, take a little of this pouder and moisten, to rub them withal.

If you like an Ointment, do thus; Take oyle of sweet Almonds four ounces, take a little white Wax and put to it, boyl it o­ver the fire, adde one dram of Camfre, and make it into an Unguent: it will both keep the hands from sun-burn, and make them exceeding white.

When the milky whiteness of the hands is eclyps'd by the azure veins that swell too big, chaff them well with water wher­in allum hath been dissolved; then wash them in warm water, presently after an­noint them with an unguent made of Ceruse.

Take wax an ounce and a halfe, turpen­tine three ounces, frankincense, fenugreek, mastick of each two ounces & a half, three graines of musk, dissolve the wax and tur­pentine, in a new pipkin, then add half a pound of common oile; when it begins to boyl, strew in the mas [...]ick, frankincense, senugreek, all being powdred, incorporate them together and make an ointment.

CHAP. IV. For the Hands when they are swoln and look red or blew with cold.

IF your hands like the flowry fields, dismantle themselves of their richest livery at the approach of the crabbed winter, & laying aside their youthful love­linesse, do shelter themselves under some more serious colour, that may better suit [Page 167]with the humour of that grave decrepit season: Ye may I adies reapparell them with their native whiteness, by the help of these directions following.

Often bath your hands in wine where­in you have boiled, nettles, rosemary, time, rue, penny royall; the frequent use of this decoction will keep them from swelling. As soon as they begin to swell and rise into knobs apply a repercussive plaister made of barly meale and juice of limmons; or take litharge, oile of roses and vinegar work them wel together into a liniment to anoint the affected places. If the swellings do not yeild to these medi­cines.

Take the yolks of five eggs, calcine them, and mix them well with barrows grease, anoint the hands well therewith going to bed, draw on a paire of smooth gloves and so lye all night.

Take turpentine, mix it with half its quantity of salt, stir them well together, till they are pretty thick, then apply it to the swoln hands.

Take oyl of dil, & oyl of sweet almonds, of each one ounce, mucilage of gum traga­ganth made with pennyroyal water, three drams, powdred starch eight drams, mix [Page 168]and make them into an ointment; it takes away the cold swellings of the hands and reduces them to their former Colour.

CHAP. V. Remedies for those vices which are incident to the nails.

THE nails are pearlie helmets where­with prudent nature hath arm'd the active fingers, to which (if they are neat­ly burnisht) they give a commanding com­liness; and may at a pressing exigencie be fit materials to head Cupids piercing shafts: their oriental beautie is thus pre­served.

When the nails are spotted remove the spots with these medicaments; Incorpo­rate myrrhe with a sufficient quantity of turpentine and apply it. Or else take sul­phur vive work it together with a conve­nient quantity of pitch and tarre, use it as a plaister; you may if you please add a little vinegar. Mix flax seed beaten with hony and wax, put it to the naile that is spot­ted.

If the naile be bruised and becomes [Page 169]black by reason of the blood that con­geals underneath, apply a cerecloth that is made of capons grease & sheeps grease with oile of cammomile or dil: afterward to dissolve the setled blood use goats dung tempered with sulphur. Or incorporate cummin seed with diachylum ireatum and oile of camomile in forme of an unguent. Ducks grease mixt with Euphorbium is singular good to discusse the condensed blood.

By some mischance or other the top of the finger is oftentimes so bruised, that the naile comes off; to make it come again foment the part with wine wherein dates have been steeped.

Take Flaxseed one ounce, cardamoms three drams, as much hony as will make it into a plaister: this will make a naile that is cleft or rotted to come away: the same effect hath the juice of stinking orach. When the naile by these means is fallen off, to make it grow againe you may use that which was before prescri­bed.

If the flesh or skin grows too much o­ver the nails, milk of spurge dropt there­on is very good. Or take salt, barly meal and costus poudred; mix them with so [Page 170]hony, as will make them into a plaister and apply it to the flesh.

CHAP. VI. Remedies for the galling, fretting and sweating of the feet.

THE Body, that fleshie pallace of a deathlesse guest, would sink beneath its own magnificence, were it not upheld by the feet, those beauteous pedestals to the sister columns that more immediately support the structure: If they are once fretted, or stand on too moist a foundati­on, they may chance to slip, and so the whole aedefice of beauty hazard it self by catching a fall. Your wisest way will be to secure them thus,

When the feet are galled take empla­strum diachalcit, dissolve it in oile of mirtle and use it to anoint the feet. Oile of eggs made by expression, or else oyl prest from wheat betwixt two iron plates is very good. You may likewise use those things which have been formerly commended to take away chaps. Ʋnguentum album, or diapomphol, are not applyed without good [Page 171]successe, the like might be said of the oile of flax, fresh butter & the yolk of an egg made into an unguent.

The feet if they are often subject to troublesome sweatings may thus be orde­red, bath them in warm water wherein allum hath been dissolved; or else wash your feet in water wherein the flowers and berries of myrtles, the leaves of cypresse, tamarisk, mint, marjoram; and after you have washt them well, a­noint them with litharge powdered and mixt with hony.

There is yet another distemper inci­dent to the feet, which I had almost for­got, they are often apt to be numb'd with a kind of pinching chilness. You may Ladies, free your selves from this distem­per thus. Make a decoction of the roots of enula campana, angelica, flowers of camo­mile, melilot, and once or twice a week bath your feet in it. You may likewise boile mint, marjoram, sage, laurel, pepper wort, in white wine and use it as the for­mer decoction.

CHAP. VII. Remedies whereby to be freed from Kibes and Cornes.

THE servile feet, though they vaile bonnet to all the nobler parts, and are leveld with that, below which they cannot well feare a fall; yet seem to have something of pride, while they often swell into tumours, and to those dimensions they cannot reach themselves, they arive in needless excressencies: You may check this their petty ambition, and securely trample upon them, if your hands will take but the paines to walke to your feet and apply these medicines.

For the kibes or those red, hard, itch­ing tumours that are troublesome to the feet in frostie weather, bath them well till they are very soft in warme water wherein mallows or senugreek have been boiled, or in hot graines or oats boiled in aqua vitae; then apply to them an un­guent made of oile of mastick, oile of spike, and wax of each a like quantity.

Take the powder of gum tragaganth, in­corporate it with oile of mastick and use it for a liniment, Or take goats suet one [Page 173] pound, Galls powdred one ounce, melt and strein the suet, then add the gals: use it as an unguent. Or take neats foot oile two ounces, galbanum half an ounce, boile them till they are pretty thick, then anoint the kibes therewith, having first well bathd them. Boile half an ounce of litharge in oile, stirring it continually then adde three drams of galbanum and make it into an ointment. Take ammoniack half an ounce, rosin one ounce, mastick, frankin­cense of each one dram, meal of fenugreek half an ounce, wax and oile as much as shall be sufficient, dissolve the gum ammo­niac and the rosine over hot embers, then add the wax and the oile, when it is all melted add the meale of fenugreek and the frankincense powdred, make it into an unguent.

Beares grease, sea water, the decoction of leeks, frankincense incorporated with lard, pomegranate peels boiled in wine, all these if they are applyed are very good. But if the kibes are broken and exulcera­ted, anoint them, with unguen [...]um aposto­lorum, strewing thereon powder of ma­stick, incense, myrrhe, then bind up the part affected with a fillet, steept in hot white wine, and cover it with a warme cloth.

Corns in the toes or feet, may be re­moved by the same means which we have prescribed for warts. Or take pure galbanum, new wax, soften them with your breath, and work them together, apply them as close to the corne as you can. First soften the corne with some fo­mentation, then apply a cautery; some use leaven, others the powder of the root of rest harrow.

Wash the feet, and apply to the corns the milk of fig leaves; then shave them with a razor to the quick, and if there happen any inflammation, anoint them with un­guentum rosatum. Bruise the leaves of rue and bind them to the corns: quick lime likewise kils them. Or take water of tartar three ounces, black sope one ounce, quick­silver half an ounce, boile these nine times, & every time when they begin to boile, make it cease by powring in cold water, then wash the cornes with this water morning and evening, then shave them to the quick, then wash them againe as be­fore, then shave them and they will be quite taken away. Some apply ox gall, changing it every day till the cornes fall away.

CHAP. I. Perfumed Pomanders for Bracelets.

QUestion not, Madams, but Pomander Bracelets conduce much to the ma­king of your Captives numerous; though they bind only your arms, yet they take men your prisoners: for none can have the courage to resist, that once see how much bracelets make ye Women of your hands. The best directions for making them, are such.

Take two ounces of the best damask rose buds, the whites being cut off; musk, ambergreece, of each forty grains, civet twenty grains; let your roses be beaten fine, as is usual for Conserves; then adde the former things with a little Labdanum; beat them well together, and make them up with gum tragaganth dissolved in rose­water.

Take Styrax Calamite, Labdanum, of each a dram and a half, Benjamin one dram, Cloves, Mace, wood of Aloes, La­vender flowers, of each half a scruple, musk, ambergreece, of each four grains, a little turpentine, gum traganth dissolved [Page 177]in rosewater, as much as will suffice; mix them well together in a warm mortar, and make all into a Pomander, according to art.

Take Florentine iris roots, Cloves, Mace, Cinnamon, of each half an ounce; yellow Saunders, Styrax calam. sweet Asa, of each two drams, Ambergreece one dram, Musk of Alexandria half a dram, sweet Balsame of Peru, oyle of Rhodium, of each one scruple; mix all well together, and adde two drams of Civet. This Com­position will be dear, but ye may make it in less quantity; taking either half, or a quarter of the doses. Beside, the exceed­ing pleasant smell, it is good in Pestilential times, and in Fits of the Mother.

Take the shavings of the greenest Cy­press wood one ounce, Florentine iris six ounces, Cloves three ounces, Calamus aro­maticus three drams, wood of Aloes fix drams; pound them altogether in a still place. Take three or four hundred red damask Roses clean pickt, beat them in a mortar with a wooden Pestle; when they are half beaten, ;put in the former pou­ders, then pound them again, moistning them with a little damask Rose water; and when they are well mixt, make them [Page 178]up into small Trochicks, and dry them in the shade. Of this Composition ye may make musk soaps, sweet pouders, and po­manders; and to make the Composition more excellent, ye may put what musk & ambergreece ye please, so that ye pouder the musk, and 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 [Page 179]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 gr [...]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, p [...]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 [Page 181]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 d [...]yed one ounce, the root of round Cyperus two drams, the true distilled oyle of Roses a [Page 182] 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 s [...]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. 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 [Page 185]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, twil 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 [Page 186]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 [Page 187]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 Chamber­maids, 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 [Page 189]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, [Page 190]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 Per [...], 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 [Page 191]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 [Page 192]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.