CHAP. I. In which we Treat of Vineyards, Or­chards, and their Improvements.

NOW as to what concerns the Vitis or Vine, we shall briefly but candidly han­dle; First as to the Soyle that agrees most to the Vine, is of a nitrous and sulpherous nature, which [Page 2]is black, loose, and moist, which pro­ceeds from its great unctuosity, of which kind we have great store in England, in many waste places, but in Ireland much more abundant, where I suppose that Vineyards might be planted with great advantage; but however, if the story is true which Glauber tells us, viz. that Vines might be made to grow in hard Rocks, without Earth or Dung, only by dis­solving and reducing the hard Rock to dust by Vegetable Vineger, and supplying it with the fame at the fall of the Leaf, he says 'tis much better than Cow-dung to nourish the Root, and if we will but rightly consider the things as they are, we find that out of such Stones is made Lime, out of which Lime by the acid juice of Ve­gitables is produced a Nitre, which is the nourisher of Seeds, because it hath its original from a sulpherous fatness, which attracts a salt from the Air, which is the Chariots of the Uni­versal Spirit, and so become satisfied by the cold Gas: I have seen by experience this thing, for in Holland in the Winter time, great quantities [Page 3]of Niter have workt it self out of the Walls, which by Distillation would give a sweet, pleasant, red, sulpherous Spirit; but 'tis to be observed, that generally this Lime is made from Shels, as Oysters, Muscles, Cockles, &c, these being calcin'd as you make Lime, and the ground manur'd therewith, it makes a richer and more fertile Soyl than hitherto hath been known or practised in England, especially for moist and cold Lands, which want the salt niteral Vertue, which is the feeder thereof, and by this means, the ground might be so ordered, as Vines might be well planted upon all the Hilly parts of this Country; nay Orchards might be made fertile, by this and soot mixed together, and the root be­ing opened about February, and the old Soyl taken away, and this added in its place, and after three days ex­posing to the Air, let it be cover'd up as before, and so your Tree shall bear much more abundantly than other­wise; neither is this so difficult or chargeable, for if you bear the Root about the latter end of February, and expose it seven days, 'tiwll attract [Page 4]from the Air sufficient nourishment, being again covered, and this method observe'd and follow'd, they will bear plentifully several years. Now there is a late Writer (which speaks against all kind of Science, knowing lit­tle of any, and yet would be esteem'd the only reformer of Old Errors) objects against the opening the Earth about the Root of the Tree, saying 'tis an exact way to render them uncapa­ble of bearing, when alas, this man is highly mistaken in this, as well as in some other of his rough notions, for that true Phylosophy doth demon­strate, that the Air is the life of all things, in whose wings is conveyed up and down the Vital breath and spiri­tual moisture, that is the nourisher and upholder of beings, and he that would he better satisfied, in this point, I re­fer him to Sandivogius, pag. 97. where he treats of the Element of Air; and Philosophers say that Minerals have their Roots in the Air, but Heads or Tops in the Earth, and this must pro­ceed from the salutiferous and nourish­ing vertue it hath to beings whether Animal, Mineral or Vegetable. I will [Page 5]therefore lay this down as an infallible Maxim in Philosophy, that the Air as it acts and is concreted in sulpherous Matrix to a nitrous Ens, is the nou­risher of all things; for as the Rain dissolveth the Salt Nitre, that shar­pens the Water by its Acrimony, this dissolves the Seed in the Earth, and this dissolution is the key of generati­on. Now by the same power things are generated, by the same likewise are they nourished, for the nitrosaline Virtue is by the internal Arche us or Central Sun sublimed into the powers of Trees, Shurbs and Plants, and sup­plys the radical moisture and essential juices thereof. I remember a passage to this purpose, written by John Welch Van Shandragh, that in some Plants 'tis good to turn the Roots upward, as the Philosophers do their work, which the Vinitorians do imitate at Ramsthat, who order the Roots of the Vines so, as they bring Grapes, ac­cording as they will have them to their fancy. If in February the Vine is cut, as Yearly it is done, the cuttings are reserved and dress'd, their length is a Cubit; these are put into the Ground [Page 6]presently (yet the point to go out) where they are kept, still to a certain that they do not lose their moistness, but remain fresh; in May they are taken out again, on the thickest part they are cut even one after another, with a sharp knife, they must not be cut slooping but even, of these cuts one or two hundred are tied up in bundles, many such bundles are made, these bundles are thurst into the ground in an even place and set in smooth one by the other, then a round pit is made knee deep, and the bundles of cuts are laid in the pit, yet so that the heads are turn'd upwards towards Heaven, and the points in the ground, these bundles are set close one by ano­ther orderly, and the parts are alike, none over-tops the other, standing something out of the ground, all smooth and flat, they being set in, the pit is fill'd with Earth, the heads, where the Roots should be set on, looks upward, which must with Earth be laid round, that no Water may run into the pit when it Raineth, these being all set into the pit, and so ordered as is said, the whole place is covered, and the [Page 7]outstanding naked heads with Moss bespread over, and over that again lay 3 fingers high of Earth, and let them remain there 5, 6, or 8 Weeks, as is needful: Observe that 'tis most commodious for these pits to be made near to a Channel, where the Water may run away, and not sink into the pit; having thus stood, they'l con­tract over their tops flesh pleasant to behold, which sometimes is in 5 or 7 Weeks, according as the Weather is good or bad; you may at the end of 5 Weeks make a little hole from above, and see whether by the said sign 'tis time to take them out, for the cuts growing to the Moss is the sign; these must be presently set into the ground again, which must be very good; turn them again in their new setting, that is the part where the cut is over­grown, and the place where the Roots should be driven new must be turn'd downward, this order must be kept with the second setting, dividing the bundles asunder, and setting 3 and 3 together, and place them a foot asun­der, and with the three in the middle a little open, looking downward or [Page 8]backward, for they must not stand streight one by another, but in the form of a Goose-path or step, called, erdo quincunctialis; on the point of the out-standing yard must stand three and three, that they may yield a point, and thus do with all your cuts, which may be put in one plat in lines by one amongst another; these twiggs on the other end thus over-grown, must be set not upright but slooping, which gives the quadrant of a Circle, that is the middle betwixt an upright and lying line, and the leg or guard about a foot long upward conver'd with Earth slooping, so that the nether part where 'twas over-grown be but half a foot long in the ground, from the super ficies; and if that part hath sore Eyes or Joynts, 'tis to be thrust in till the upmost Eye which stand out, that must give the growth; if you have thus proceeded you have done well, ye are to observe that things thrust too deep in the ground, be it Trees or others, will not prosper, it cannot help it self, 'tis better to set them shallow. Now these are to be let alone 2 years, but Roots at the first year, and at the [Page 9]time when other Vines are digged a­bout or open'd, which is the Week be­fore Easter, the inlaid Roots must be open'd, not only to make the ground more porous, and the Weeds to be rooted out, but the roots must also be rid of the by-shots, and plucked off which grow not downward on the Roots, these off pluckt Roots are not taken out, but let them set, because the roots be not stirred.

But if thou wilt repair an old Vine, these are taken out, and are now call'd Wortlings, because they have gotten about the over-grown heads; the best root on the nether part is fine to be­hold, looking like a Swiherbeard; then you may cleanse them from supersluous roots, and may set them in for a Vine if you please, in the manner as it is set down in the foregoing rules; and such prepared Roots and over-grown Vines is far better than others: for these our Wortlings, after they have their root well together, are the better able to defend against the Frost, when others hang'd about an Ell high with roots, are kill'd by the Frost, and so the Vines are the more weakned, and are like old [Page 10]Vines, in respect of ours. Besides, such a stock in the driving is stronger, than those which are put in the ground presently after they are cut from the Vine, where they must take root, not taken out till they be set in the rebstuck.

If a new Vineyard be made of a ground, which formerly was full of bushes and a hedge for Hares brood, the first new set of such twiggs drive so strongly, that the double number of such twiggs must be laid in, as 8 or 10 twiggs into one place, all which may prosper, yield and bear Grapes in other Vineyards: for to one stock are laid but 3 or 4 twiggs, call'd Pal­mites; and that must be done for some Years together in a new break, he that doth not know this, and doth not do so, the blossom then will fall off yearly, the which I have seen come to pass: for the driving in such a new plat, if the ground be good, is too strong, thrusts out and off the Blossoms, that you must look for your Grapes in the Spring under the Vines amongst the Blossoms: but if you let your stock grow into Wood, it spreadeth in that new till'd ground, and is weakned [Page 11]thereby, and brought to a temperature, for each twigg receiveth so much strength, and driving as much as it hath need to the full seed, and enough for the saving of it; and thus your Vineyards being dress'd in this man­ner will prove and yield double more in the Vintage than other men's will.

Thus according to Van Shandragh, the which I shall pass from, the Vin­tage being come, let them proceed how they will so that they have a good Vintage from the well manuring, or­dering and dressing their Vines, they may expect good store of Bacchean Vir­tues, the usual way of making Wines from the Grapes is as follow,

Example,

In these Countrys that abound with Vineyards, they proceed thus; The Grapes when ripe, are pounded in Troughs; or the more common way is, to put them in large half Buts or Tubs, and tread them with their feet, and afterwards with a large press they press out the juice, as is done in ma­king of Syder here in England, this is Barrel'd up and let stand to ferment, and to clear and refine it self; and [Page 12]then they draw it off into smaller Casks from its dregs, and this is perform'd naturally and artificially by fermenta­tion, untill the Wine comes to a good body, and is fine. Observe, they stop not the Bung hole in its fermentation, but let it stand with a pibble-stone on the Bung-hole, by which means it is kept fresh and brisk the longer, and is not so liable to become sower. Thus in Rotterdam I have drank Rhenish Wine of considerable age.

Observe, that Wines are preserved from Corruption powerfully and effe­ctually (as experience shews) by the fumes of burning sulpher vive.

These are general rules for the ma­king all sort of Wines from the Grapes, but every Country may have some variation in their way, and instruments used; but however, from what hath been said, thou canst not be ignorant how to make a guess and of the other; for by a Penny we know how a Shil­ling is Coined.

The best that are on the Rhine are from Baccharach, Herbipolis, Klingen­berg, and Hoccheime, also Muscadine from Candy, Riballa is a strong Zans [Page 13]Wine, Bappidavia is a mild Wine from Gallatia, and White-Whine and Claret from France, Canary from the Canary Islands, Sherry from Spain, and several other good Wines from other parts, which I shall pass off and come to its general Virtues.

The Vine is above any other Vegi­table in vertue, being medicinal from the Roots to the Branches, as thou may'st see at large in Doct. Robert Do­vel's Herbal, p. 481. and as Soloman saith Oyl makes a chearful countenance and Wine makes the heart glad, not only so, but we can speak something of its Medicinal vertues, by our own experience; for the Rhenish-Wine is the best vehicle for any Medicine ad­ministred in the Stone: White-wine for the loss of Appetite or Surfeits, and Obstructions in Women; Sack for Weak and Consumptive people; the Spirit of Wine to bath griev'd and brused parts; the Argell or Tartar hath a vertue surpassing; for as Bassil­lius Valentine saith he wants words to express its virtues; for a Spirit made from the crude Tartar, well rectify'd and ting'd with Verjuice, is excellent [Page 14]for the provoking the Menses; also good in the Jaundice, Dropsy, Leprosy, Plurisy, Frenzy, and French Disease; the Cream of Tartar for Obstructions and Hypocondriack Melancholly, and Worms: Tartar vitriolate for Fea­vers, abating Thirst, opening Ob­structions, and killing Worms; the Salt of Tartar cleansed by decoction is not only powerful in opening of Mi­nerals, but being brought over the Helme, as the Author does it, is the true Key (call'd the Circulatum mini­mum) by which succedanous and true specifick Medicines are prepared, which as Helmont says) cures all Dis­eases, in such a way, that what such will not perform, nothing in the Ve­gitable Kingdom will be found to do it; also the Essence of Wine, (which is the union of the fixed Salt and Oyl of Tartar with the Spirit of Wine, so as to be brought to a Balsamick Nature) will I say, cure musty, sick, and ropy Wines: Indeed I have many more things to write of the Nature and Vertues of Vinor growths, and prin­cipally of the friendly and balsamick nature of Raisins; but seeing it will [Page 15]be done in another place, I shall omit it here, and so proceed to the Ana­tomizing of Concrets.

CHAP. II. Treateth concerning the Spagirical way of dissecting Concrets, and the office of Essences exalting Wines.

FIrst we shall consider the various sorts of dissections there be, to be performed through Chymical and Spagirical operations, between which I put a considerable difference.

For by Chymical ye are to under­stand such dissections as are made by the violence of the Callenary Fire, which rends asunder those tender parts and interwoven attomes, which nature had so friendly united by her internal motion and hidden power of digestion, fermentation and concretion, and where this is perform'd in a pure Ma­trix, generally there proceeds a per­fect and pure birth; but these being thus separated, and especially in those things which are tender and volatile, [Page 16]the precious Life and Virtue there­of is put to flight invisibly, as the Spirit is at Man's decease, and nothing but the bare Principles remain; but that you may the better understand what I mean by this invisible Life of concreted Beings, by which the Prin­ciples are held in Unity, so as to main­tain the Texture of that Being, I shall give you an Instance, which to demon­strate, proceed thus;

℞ Twenty Gallons of a fragrant Wine, put it into a Refrigitory with its Helme, lute all close, and distill off the Spirit, as long as any will come good, then let all cool, draw forth the Fleame, in which there is a Salt of Wine, and add the Spirit drawn off, to it again, and the Pondus will be ve­ry little diminished, but the alteration will be very considerable; for as it was before pleasant and fragrant Wine, the tye being broken, it becomes stinking and obnoxious, and unsavory to be drunk; for why, the Life is fled away invisibly, as is plain, because all Savour proceeds from thence; and I do affirm, that he that can reduce this to its first [Page 17]state of fragrancy, deserves the name of a Philosopher, and to wear the Gar­land amongst Spagiricks, not that I think it impossible to be done, but dif­ficult, and cannot be performed by any other way and means, but that, which adds a new Life by fermentation, and and yet not destroy the Original, Na­ture and Form of the specificated Sul­phur therein contained, call'd the Gal­lidum innatum, of which, no Being can be destitute; and yet this reuniting Medium must have power to blot out the evil Character, and hidden wrath­ful quality of Death, which the vio­lency of Fire stirr'd up, and appease again so, as to make an harmonious Unity. Of this Nature, is the Essence of Wine, and Sal panaristos, but these are Spagirical Operations, and shall be touch'd at in their proper place; we shall now return to speak of the Office of Chymistry, and that part of it, which may seem pertinent and advantagious to us in this Discourse, which is prin­cipally that of Distillation, which re­taineth and condenseth the loose Atoms, especially those of Spirits, af­ter Fermentation, and those let them [Page 18]either be Vinor or Urinous, or very Volatile; now Essential Oils, are also made by Distillation, requiring a grea­ter degree of Fire, being the Sulphurs, in another and more ponderous Form; it is also profitable for making acid Spi­rits, and also to make Sal alkali; for why, the Fire of Calcination burns up all evil and combustible Sulphurs, and fixes down the more ponderous Sul­phur, and incorporates it with the gros­ser parts of the Body, and so assumes a new Form, containing its Sulphur in occulto; for all Salts are salimo-sulphure­ous, and all Sulphurs sulphureous Sa­line, as will be manifested by union and retrogradation of Form and volatali­zation, but this being a spagirick Ope­ration, it shall be spoken more large­ly of in its proper place; and so con­clude the usefulness of Chymistry, as to this part, only to consist in Distil­lation and Calcination, for the other, viz. Union and Exaltation are Spagi­rical, which we shall now come to Treat of.

Spagirical Operation is not only a separating of the pure from the im­pure, but also a re-uniting the Princi­ples, [Page 19]and bringing of them to a Balsa­mick and friendly Nature, for we see by experience, the more any pure Bo­dies are exalted, the more do they contain of the vital fatness, the grea­ter is their Virtue and operative Qua­lity on others, but most principally on Vinor Spirits, which are always en­riched by a sulphureous fatness; for as Glauber says, That Vines draw Odors and Savors from the Earth beyond all other Plants, and that Savours may be communicated to the Vine by the skilful at pleasure, both in their growth, and after they are maturated; for if the Herb Scarlet be cast into Rhe­nish Wine, it becomes very little infe­rior to Muscadine; and again, he says, that those rich Wines on the Rhine, before-named, are (as he calls it) upon a Mineral Soil, and therefore suck up the universal and balsamick fatness from thence, as may be seen in Pag. 126. Par. 2d. where he says, That if the Scarlea, or any other odo­riferous Herb be apply'd to the root of the Vine, 'twill bestow its Odour on the Grapes; he farther says, That if you pour any Oil upon the Root [Page 20]of a sweet and odoriferous Nature, the Vine will produce Muscadine for Ten years; and 'tis observable that he lays stress upon the Oil of Seacoal, through­ly cleans'd, and rectified with the Spi­rit of Salt; his reasons (as I conceive) be, because abundance of Seacoals grow, and are digged from thence; and if this is really so, why may not there be an encouragement for Vine­yards here in England, and other plea­sant growths, seeing there is such rich Soil, and so well stor'd with Minerals and Sea-coal, and we are well assured, that the Mineral, or moist Vapour, which is a principal Life to concreet­ed Beings, in that by its Spirituality it unites with the universal Powers and Forms it self into a nitrous or sul­phureous balsamick Oil, nourisheth the Vegetables as it flows forth, and is sublimed by the Archeius to their Roots, which afterward is elevated into the Branches, and Fruit thereof, and are changed by the forming Sul­phur, all one as the different Ali­ments, which we take in, are chan­ged into the substance of our Bodies, viz. into Juices, Blood, Flesh, and such [Page 21]other parts as uphold the Fabrick of the body; just so is it in the Mineral and Vegitable Kingdom; for 'tis as is said the fat and sulpherous vapour, that nourisheth them, and is by degrees converted into their own nature, and if any of these want this nourishing va­pour, they soon decay, pine and wither. O how wonderful is nature in her o­perations, and how many ways hath she unsearchable and past finding out; for as the Phylosophers say, Life is short, and Art is long; but let us re­turn, I say then, that the Earth doth abound with this sulpherous fatness, and sometimes is so over-gorg'd there­with, that it spews it forth through the pores thereof, as is evident by Petrelaeum, an Oyl that flows naturally from the rocks, and this we know, that Art both may and often doth supply Nature's defects; for if thou take pure Salt of Tartar, and pour distill'd Vi­negar thereon, until 'tis assatiated, e­very time drawing off the Fleam, and then distill it in a coated Retort by fire of degrees, and lastly rectify the Oyl thorough the Spirit of Vitriol, 'twil become lucid, pleasant, and fra­grant [Page 22]of so great virtue, that I call it my Olcum regeneratum. With this Oyl much may be done, for frutifying, and nourishing the Vinor natures, ei­ther externally or internally; I have also much to write, concerning the sulpherous Oyl of the Magnesia, which will revive, and cause to vegetate a­fresh the most declining Tree, Shrub, or Plant; How wonderfull is the Ope­ration and virtue of such sulpherous fatness in the nourishing of growths, let it be judg'd of by the Judicious, and let a determination be made there­in, only by the experienced Philoso­phers or true knowers of Natural things, which are greatly discovered to us by our Spagirical Operation, as they are made in Imitation of Nature; and furthermore, Wines may be won­derfully exalted by Essential Salts, thus, First Chymically seperate the Oyl of any Concret, and the remainder Cal­cine to ashes, the pure Salt extract and christalize from thence, and reunite Spagirically the fixed Salt and the Es­sential Oyl, and bring them to a Chri­stalline Salt, or with the Spirit of the Concret distill and cohobate so long [Page 23]untill it is all brought over in a Balsa­mick Spirit, this Spirit being imbodied by the Essential Salt, plainly mani­festeth its Callidum innatum, or drying enriching sulpher, which gives life and sulpherous fatness, and durable, lasting and substantial virtues unto Wine, ex­alting both the taste and smell thereof. Thus the Salt or Essence of Wormwood will make rich Wormwood Wine; the like will that of Mint, Balm, and An­gellicoe, &c. It also gives fermentation thereunto, and makes it pure Wine indeed, as Wine refin'd from its Lees, and gives it such qualities, as deserves the highest of commendations, as I could prove by undeniable reasons in philosophy, which we must omit here, lest this Volume should swell beyond its prefixed Volume, and pass on to the meliorating and enriching Wines, which is yet more highly to be per­formed by the Element of Fire of Venus, which is made by seperating the Sulphur from the Mercury, and mortifying the Sulphur, and distilling of it into a Spirit, and Glauber doth wonderfully commend the Element of Fire made from common yellow Sul­phur, [Page 24]and says, that if it be put to defective Wine, it is a present Medi­cine; for if any one put a little of it in a Cask of Wine, the Wine acquires a grateful tast and odour, and will be so comforted, as not easily to admit of changing or perishing as otherwise is wont to happen to common Rhenish Wine; see more in his Works pag. 3. par 3. and I say that Wines are also enriched by essential and fragrant Oyls, so prepared as to unite with Water or Spirit of Wine or other Wines; for being dilated by a proper ferment, they are easily united, and so the Wines are enriched thereby; thou may'st re­member, that I said in the last Chap­ter, that the fumes of Sulphur Vive wonderfully preserves and enrich Wines, and therefore such excellent Medicines as these cannot fail of per­forming much more high; and that I may fully accomplish the desire of the Ingenious, I think it convenient to speak concerning the Red Wine of the Philosophers, which produceth and maketh my Sal Panaristos to appear; for that is prepared from the three first principles, christalliz'd in the [Page 25]three last, contained in the fiery Spi­rit of Wine, as Sandivogius says, it burns up three and leaves one, which is the Diamond like powder, the true fixed Salt Nitre of the wise; and as much may be perform'd by it, as Glau­ber hath attributed to his Sal mirabilis. But what shall I say, I fear the time is not yet come to reveal such Secrets in; for from hence proceeds the very Key to the chiefest of Arcana's, and prin­cipally to Tinctures, Essences or Elix­irs, universal or particular Medicines, according to the specificated degrees of the exalted Sulphurs; for as Basi­lius Valentine saith, that the Spirit of Wine, or the true Aquavitae of the wise, hath been sought for by many, but found by very few: It is the Ve­gitable stone indeed, and man loved Gold and Wine above all other crea­tures, which may be beheld with Eyes. Gold loveth man and Wine, because it lets go its noble parts therein; for if true Spirit of Wine be put to it, being made potable, it gives strength to man, and prolongs his Life and Health: For thus much I am bold to assert, that an Aurum potabile is an [Page 26]Universal Medicine; and without a true Spirit of Wine, an Aurum patabile cannot be made; for Wine bears af­fection to man, as also to Gold, be­cause it easily unites with the Tinctures of Sol; then it expells Melancholly and Sadness, rejoycing Man's heart: For there is originally three stones so call'd, viz. the Urinous or Microcos­mical one, therefore called Animal, which may be beheld in the beautiful Azoth or Lunar Oyl; the Vegetable, discern'd in the Vinor Spirit, the Mi­neral in the golden Tincture or Sul­phur of Laton. The three Trium­phant stones of the Wisemen, viz. Medi­cinal, Transmutative, and Angelical; the Triune stones or Universal, most Universal the Caballistical, Elixerating Tincture for Men and Mettals, so much talk'd of, but so little known; for why? they do not understand the true sub­ject Matter, from whence these three stones are obtained, for it proceeds from one confused Chaos, containing a spermatical Essence of all created beings, the Book of Wonders, and Looking-Glass of Nature. wherein so many Mysteries may be discerned face [Page 27]to face, that I dare not discover them here, because time and place is too short; I shall therefore conclude with the words of Basilius, where 'tis said, He that catcheth this fiery Spirit, hath got victory in this Chymical Battle, &c. because from hence proceedeth the foundation of all Spagirical Medicines, and consequently the true exaltation of Wine, which we have here can­didly treated of, and so shall pass on to the making Wines from the Growths of England.

CHAP. III. Treats concerning the way to make Wines from English Growths, viz Plums, Quinces, Sloes, Damsins, Cherries, Figgs; also from Goosberries, Mul­berries, Currans, Blackberries, and Elderberries; also from Roses, Corna­tions, Cowslips, Scurvygrass, Mint, Balm, and other Trees, Shrubs, Fruits, Flowers and Herbs.

FIrst I shall define Wine to be a spiritualized Sulphur, incorpo­rated with a Mercurial Juice, and so [Page 28]exalted by Natures Concoction, to its degrees of purity, according as the internal Spirituallity hath power to act; but the maturity and perfect ripe­ness comes and is perfected by the aid and help of the Heavenly Sun, which exhales and detracts the acid and su­perfluous moisture, which causes the fruit to be unsavoury and harsh; for we see by experience, that in cold years, the Wines are much more im­perfect, than in hotter ones; there­fore we shall shew you, that Wines truly maturated admits of no Argel; but of this in its proper place. Our intended purpose is here to let you understand, that the Sulphur of a Concret manifested, is that which gives the different taste to Wines, so that Wines may not only be made from the Vegetables before nominated, but also from other Herbs, Roots, Barks, Flowers, Grains, Honey, and Sugar, by fermentation, and again these by distillation yield a true Vinor Spirit, which when rectify'd from the Vitre­oline Alkalizates, looses much of the external Sulphur, and so only the Vita media, and such like qualities remain [Page 29]of the Concret; so one Spirit may be made so near, that it cannot be dis­cerned, from that which is made from another different Texture; as shall be more largely demonstrated in the 6th Chapter, where we treat of the way of making artificial Brandy-wines. I shall come to consider and speak of an ill Custom made use of in England, which is since the Medicinal Wines have come so greatly in use amongst all sorts of people, the Vintners have been so unjust, as only to infuse these Herbs, in small Wines, or that which was worse, in prick'd, low or dam­nify'd Wines, which have lost much of their vital strength, and that which is yet material, is, they let the Herb infuse so long therein, that it doth not only attract their Medicinal Qua­lities, but also the austere and wrath­ful one; for 'tis very observable, that if these Wines remain long, they lose their brisk and pleasant Nature, and so become nautious in the drinking thereof, and so by such unworthy practices, the people are many times deceiv'd in their expectation; for al­though they drink these Wines, yet [Page 30]they come short of those Virtues that might justly be expected therefrom: The like is to be understood by Scurvy­grass Wine, and all others so made: For these, and other weighty Reasons I thought it needful to furnish every Family with Wines made from their own Products, which being prepar'd without Sophistication, will shew their greater Superiority to others, by gi­ving the satisfactory Effect desired, &c. having thus laid down and demonstra­ted the Truth concerning Wines, and the abuses thereof, I shall now come to give the Receipts to make right ones.

First, the way to make Wines of all kind of Fruits, is generally one, which is, when the Fruits are ripe, they are stampt, and the Juices prest forth, and then Barrell'd up, and firmented with a Syrrup made with Sugar or Honey, and a little fixed Nitre dissolv'p there­in, sometimes we use Izinglass, Flower, and Whites of Eggs to refine them down, and being Refin'd, withdraw them out into fresh Casks, or else bot­tle them up, which may be preserv'd wonderfully by my Sal Panaristos; but by the way, I cannot chuse but take no­tice [Page 31]of a new pretended Reformer (though peradventure he might cull his foundation out of my first Impres­sion) who saith, that Water must be only poured on them, and drawn off without a Press, and then with Herbs or Seeds, Sugar, Treacle or Honey, being relish'd or sweetned, and firment­ed with Yest, this he commends above all others; when alas, he is greatly be­sides the mark; for first, Wines thus made, have not the full Body nor Vir­tue of the Fruits; Secondly, being made with Water, they will soon rope and sower. Thirdly, Treacle hath no affinity to Wines, 'tis only pre­scrib'd for the dulcifying of Waters, wherefore I rather suppose he knew not how to distinguish the difference of my Receipts; Lastly and chiefly, the one general receipt he pretends to, will not answer the different sort of Fruits; for according as their Natures are, either sweet or sower, so must they be diversly handled, &c. as will be seen by the following Re­ceipts; for Plums, Quinces, Damsins, Goosberries, and such like, ought to be made thus; Example on, Vinum [Page 32]Grossubare, or Goosberry Wine. ℞ Eight pounds of Goosberries, bruise them very well, but not to marsh, and put them into a Vessel, and pour up­on them a Gallon of pure Spring Wa­ter, or rather its own distill'd Water, made in a cold Still, and let them stand stopt in a cold place 24 Hours, and then put them into a strong Can­vas, or Hair Bag, and press out all the clear; then measure how many Quarts of Liquor you have, and to every Quart add three quarters of a pound of fine Sugar, and stir it till it be throughly melted, then put it into a vessel, and set it in a cold place, or else it will be sower: and so let it work three Weeks or a Month; the Vessel must be fill'd full, and Bung'd down close, that no Air can come in: after it is well wrought and setled, let it be drawn off into smaller Casks, or else bottle it up, and set it in a cold place. Thou art to observe in the choice of the Goosberries, they are neither fully ripe, nor too green; for the full ripe will make it thick, and the green will make it sower; but let them be taken just as they are turning; [Page 33]be careful that you stop not the bot­tle too hard at first, nor fill them too full, &c.

CHAP. IV. Containing observations of making Wines, and how to make artificial Mallago Wines, artificial Clarret and Rhenish, and to make Mead, &c. with several other useful Receipts.

IN this Chapter we are to draw some general observations, con­cerning Wines, in which we shall con­sider whether or no, new Wine, new Beer are lessen'd in their virtue by de­coction as the pretended reformer says? No; but on the contrary, they are made much more wholsom and dura­ble thereby; for in the Elixeration of Malt, the Chief virtue that is extracted by the Water from them is Gummy and Sulphurons, as may easily be de­monstrated, if upon the strong infusi­on of Malt you pour a strong Lixi­vium of Sal Tartaris, there shall im­mediately precipitate a Gummous sub­stance, [Page 42]which is the substance drawn from the Malt, and seeing it is really so, we know by experience that gen­tle decoction can never exhale these Oleous parts, but rather concatinate them, making the Wort more clammy and rich; and if you make Vineger of it, the more it is boil'd the stronger will your Vineger be; but for Beer, when the Wort is fermented, and brought so ripe as to dilate this Oleo­sity into a Spirituallity, then I say de­coction destroys it because 'twill send off its Spirituallity, and so 'twill do in Wine too; but yet the Learned and knowing Glauber says, pag. 300. Part 1. That Wine may not only be brought to Must, and by gentle evaporation so condens'd to the thickness of Honey, that it may be the better transported, but also 'tis for the bettering weak and acid Wines, and making them the more noble thereby; nay, he says they'r to be made abundantly stronger, than when they came first from the Grape, only by adding thereto water, or small Wines, and fermenting again, with the Quintessence thereof, as thou may'st read in him at large: Hence it [Page 43]may be clearly discerned, how easy it is for unexperienced men to be de­ceived in their Judgments. But how­ever, I shall pass them by, and proceed further to the improvement of Wines. It is well known to every Vintner, that by the natural action of the Hoggs­head, abundance of fat, rich Lees, or Mother, will fall down, which I have heard a man in Holland affirm that he could with ease make thereby an Hogs­head of Wine again equal to its ori­ginal; but this is also difficult to any but a Spagirick Philosopher, who knows the virtue of the Quintessence of Wine; but however 'tis common to draw off small Wines and put them on such rich Lees, and then refine them down again, by which the Wines are wonderfully better'd: We also see that Wine is fed with proper food, which is sweet Flesh, Salt of Tartar, or more principally the sweet and vo­latile Spirit of Tartar, and yet higher with the Quintessence of Wine, as was said in the 2d Chapter, by Essen­tial Salts and prepared Oyls, also by Herbs and things of an Aromatical nature; we are also satisfy'd, that of [Page 44]two pipes of small and weak Wines one may be made: for as Glauber saith pag. 158. Part 1. Nothing can be found, which may render small Wines better than the Animal or Quintessence extracted from other Wines; for the Animal of Wine only, and nothing else, can encrease the strength of Wine. Neither is the comparison of this me­lioration of Wines incongruous with two torn Garments, neither of which can be worn; but if either of these is cut, and that which is whole and good is sewed to the other, and so of two one whole Garment is made; then that Garment may be worn, when yet, before, neither of them was useful; which points out the very manner by which it is perform'd, to draw forth the Spirit and Quintessence of one, and let part of the whole be fermen­ted and dilated into another: these and many other ways there be to en­rich Wines, which we shall here pass by, and proceed to our intended pur­pose, viz. artificial Wines, and first of Hydromeli, or Mead. ℞. 20 Gallons of the best Spring-water that can be gotten, and put it over the fire, and [Page 45]let it stand for 2 or 3 hours, but suf­fer it not to boil; and to every Gal­lon add 3 pound of Virgins-Honey, and let it gently boil an hour or more, and take off the Scum in boiling; and when 'tis almost cold, add two spoon­fulls of Ale-yest to every Gallon, and so let it work two days; then Barrel it up, and add to every Gallon of Li­quor, Nutmeggs, Mace, Cinamon, in powder of each half an ounce, tye it up in a bag, and cast it into the Li­quor, then stop it close for a Month, two or three, the longer the better; draw it out and Bottle it, putting in a bit of Loaf-Sugar.

Another highly esteemed of ℞. to every Gallon of the cold distill'd water of Cowslips, or Spring-water, two pound of the best Virgins-Honey, and to every 20 Gallons add in the boiling a good handfull of Marjerom, Balm, and Rosemary, and before 'tis quite cold, strain it through a Seive, and ferment it as before is said, then add in the Barrel Cinamon, Nutmeggs, Mace, Ginger, Orice-roots of each half an Ounce, and 3 or 4 Lent-figgs, and let it work and refine as the for­mer, [Page 46]and Bottle it in the same man­ner. Observe, that French shew the way of making Methegline or Mead stale quickly, by smearing over bread with Mustard, and laying the Mustard side downward, as is said in Scurvy-grass-wine.

An artificial Claret. ℞. The Juice of Clary, or the Water of Clary di­still'd in a cold Still, one part, Red­streak or Pippin Syder half a part, Mallago Raisins beat in a Mortar 6 pounds, the fat mother of Claret one pound, of the Christals of Tartar half a pound, and being close covered let it ferment the space of 15 days, then draw off the Liquor clear into a Bar­rel; to every Gallon thereof add half a pint of the juice of Black berries or Goosberries, and a pint of Spirit of Clary to the whole; then take three Spoonfulls of Flower, the white of two new laid Eggs, a dram of Ising-glass, being all beat together, add it into the Barrel with two pounds of the Syr­rup of Clary, and it will refine down and become wonderfull rich.

An artificial Mallago-Wine. First take a Wine-Barrel hoop'd and dress'd [Page 47]with one end being open, to which a close cover must be fitted, which must be to take off and put on at pleasure, set it in a warm place Winter or Sum­mer, and fill it full with clear and pure water, to each three Gallons put six pounds of the best Mallago Rai­sins, which you must bruise in a stone Mortar, and upon 20 Gallons of the said water you must strew a handfull of Calx vive; then cover the Vessel close with the cover, and cast cloaths upon it to keep it warm, and let it stand 4 or 5 days, to work as Wine or Beer doth, when they be new; then see if the Raisins be risen up to the top of the water, if so, then put them down again, as before; let them thus stand 3 Weeks or a Month together with the Raisins, being every 4th or 5th day put down if in case they rise up; then put a tap into the Vessel three or four Fingers above the bot­tom, and try if it be good, and taste like Wine, if not, let it stand a while longer; but if so, draw it off into ano­ther Wine Vessel, and to every 20 Gallons, that you have drawn off, put a pint of the best Aqua vitae, two [Page 48]new laid Eggs, and a quart of Alligant, beaten well together, and let it stand in a Cellar as other Wine does, till it be clear and fit to be drunk, and thus not only artificial Mallago may be made, but also other artificial Wines; for the Author cannot but presuppose, that thou may'st by these examples invent and prepare other sorts of Wines, which are not here set down, by the same Method as that of Musca­dine is prepared; for having the know­ledge of the different Herbs that bears a signature with the different sulphurs of the true Wine, whether stiptick, acid, mild, pleasant, luscious or fat and balsamick, so must the imitation of the different sort of Wines be, whether Rapadavia, Ribella, Canary, Tent, or any other, &c.

Mum, according to the Authors way is thus, ℞. A Vessel containing 63 Gallons of water, boil it to the consumption of the third part; then let it be brew'd S. A. with 7 bushels of ground Beans, and when it is turn'd let not the Hogshead be fill'd too full at first, and beginning to work put to it the inner rinds of Fir-Tree, three pounds [Page 49]of birth, and the leaves and tops of Fir-Tree each one pound, Cardus Be­nedictus dry'd three good handfulls: Burnet, Bittony, Rosemary, Majorem, Avens, Penniroyal, Elder-flowers, Wild Thime, of each one handful and half; Seed of Cardemums bruised 3 Ounces; Bay Berries an Ounce; put the seed into the Vessel when it hath wrought a while with the Herbs, & after they are added, let the Liquor work over the Hogshead as little as may be; fill it at last, and before 'tis stopt put into the Hogshead 10 new laid Eggs, the shells not broken nor crack'd; then stop it close and drink of it at two years end; if it be carried by water 'twill be the bet­ter. But Doctor Egidius added Wa­ter-Cresses, Wild Parsley, and 6 hand­fulls of Horse-Raddish to each Hogs­head; and 'twas observed, that the Mum which had in it the Horse Rad­dish drank more brisk than that which had not.

To make Punch-Royal. ℞. Two, quarts of Water, one pound and half of Loaf-Sugar, and dissolve it fully therein, and if need be filter it through a Holland cloth, then add a pint of [Page 50]Rhenish-Wine and 6 Ounces of Lime-juice, or the Juice of 4 great Lemonds, and 7 or 8 drops of the true Spirit of Salt, and a drachm of Alkermes, or 2 grains of Musk, and 3 of Amber­greece, a quart of Brandy, one Nut­meg grated, and stir it till it be incor­porated, and then head it with toasted Biscakes; this Liquor, without bread, drinks exceeding briskly, being Bottled for a time.

A good way to bottle Wine, Beer, or any other Liquor, (if it should be a little prickt) make a Syrrup of Clary, and ferment it with Barm, and to eve­ry Bottle put in a spoonful or two, with a bit of Loaf-Sugar, and that being well Cork'd down, will do very well: The same does well for bottling Syder or Mead, and preserves it wonderfully.

Now if you'r minded to have vari­ety of different Ales, then make a Syr­rup of the Herb, and put in two or three Spoonfulls in bottling, and a Spoonfull or two of the Essence there­of, let it be Oranges, Lemonds, or Scurvy-grass, Cyprus, Wormwood, Mint, Balm, or the like; and if you practice this way, your experi­ence [Page 51]will prompt you beyond words.

A Cathartick Physical Ale good a­gainst the Scurvy, and several other diseases. ℞. Of Scurvy-grass one peck, Water-Cresses 12 handfulls, Book-Lime 6 handfulls, English Rhu­barb 6 Ounces, Horse-Raddish 4 Oun­ces, Annis-seeds and Carraway-seeds, of each one Ounce, sweet Fennel one Ounce, Sena one Ounce, Pollypodi of the Oak 4 Ounces, Raisins stoned and Lentfiggs of each 8 Ounces, new Ale 5 Gallons; make it S.A.

To make Ale stale or new. To every quart of new drink drop in 10 or 12 drops of the true Spirit of Salt, and it is performed; and to make stale drink new, Chalk performs it, being scraped in.

To make Coffee and Tea. Boyl Spring water 12 hours, and draw it forth into smaller pots, and add to every pound of this Water an Ounce or an Ounce or half of Coffee-powder, and stir it well in, and set it before the Fire till it becomes in taste rich of the Coffee, and well settled, then is it sit to drink. Tea is one with the Coffee, but to a pint of Water you [Page 52]add of the Herb Tea a drachm & half, and put it before the fire to settle, but not so near as to let it Boyl again; for then 'twill not be so good.

To make Chocolate-Cakes and Roles. ℞. Caoco-Nuts gently dry'd in an Iron-pan, and then peel off the Husks, powder them very small, so as to be sifted, then to every pound so prepared, add of White-Sugar 6 Ounces, Cinamon half-an Ounce, one Nutmeg, one Bonile of the best, Am­bergreece and Musk of each four grains, if for high price or Spanish Chocolate, but in the English it is left out. The right way to prepare it, is in a stone Mill or else on an Iron-plate, clean and bright, and a roul of Iron two hands longer than the Plate; and about Ten pound Weight; let your weight be placed on a wooden frame, so that you may put a little fire of Charcoal under it, and give a gen­tle heat, and so first melt the Sugar and Cacao-Nut together by rouling the Iron over it, moving it from the plate with an horn, and so work it till it be­comes like dough, adding in the Cina­mon, Nutmegs, and Bonile, the more [Page 53]you work it the siner the Mafe will be, and be careful to preserve its Oyliness, and keep it from burning; the plate must not be too hot, neither must there be wanting of labour in rouling of it, often stirring and moving it from the plate; and lastly, add your Musk and Ambergreece, and while 'tis warm it may be made into Rouls or Cakes, or cast into moulds, or what form you please.

To make the Liquor of Chocolate. ℞. Milk and Water of each one pound, and let them boyl a while, and then add of your Chocolate grated an ounce, an ounce and half, or two, as you'l have it in richness; let it simper a lit­tle, then take it from the Fire and add to it the Yolks of two new laid Eggs, well beaten with as much Meevus Su­gar as will sweeten it, and then Mill it with a Mill for that purpose, till it be thick, Secundum Artem.

To pickle Cucumbers so that they may look Green. Take of Water and Vinegar alike, and make the Liquor strong with Bay-Salt, and other Salt mixt together, and having boiled it very well, your Cucumbers being in a [Page 54]Vessel in rows, with Dill betwixt every row, and a little of Verjuice or the Green. Juice of Grapes upon the up­permost row, then pour your Liquor boyling hot upon them, then cover them close, so that the steem may not come out, and let them stand 14 days and Nights; then cant off the Liquor, and boyl up the same Liquor again, with Pepper, Cloves, Mace, Cinamon, or other Spices as you think fit, and put on your Cucumbers again, and cover them very close for use, by this means they will look Green. The Pickle of them is good to be used in Inflama­tions, and Scorbutick Nodes, and o­ther diseases; as being a kind of Ela­torium, dissolved by the Acidity, &c. So much for this Chapter, I shall now proceed to that of Distillation.

CHAP. V. Treateth of the Cheif heads in the Act of Parliament, concerning Distillation, in which is shew'd how the Constitu­tution of Distillation is alter'd.

Distillation is a separating and ex­tracting of the most Spirituous Liquor from the grosser part of the body by heat, and therefore the purer your Basis is, the more pure will your Spirits be, for this end and purpose we are now to consider how we can proceed, that our Hypothesis may have affinity with the Law; for the Par­liament hath constituted a path way for all Distillers to walk in, and be­cause we'l make no breach in this point, I shall make use of the chief heads therein contained, &c. in the Act entituled, The Encouraging the Distillation of Brandy, and Spirits from Corn. First, the Trade and Commerce of France being prohibited, and all their Goods from being imported into this King­dom; And Whereas good and wholesome [Page 56]Brandys, Aqua-vitae, and Spirits, may be drawn & made from Malted-Corn; For the Encouragement therefore of the making of Brandy, Strongwaters, and Spirits from Malted Corn, and for the greater Con­sumption of Corn, and the advantage of Tillage in this Kingdom,

The King, Queen, and Parliament then assembled, have thus ordained it, that every Gallon of low Wine of the first Extraction, made or drawn from any fo­reign and imported materials, or any mixture with foreign materials, 8 d.

For every Gallon of low Wines, or Spirits of the first Extraction, made or drawn from Brewers Wash or Tilts, or from any sort of English Materials, other than from drink Brewed and pepared from any sort of Malted Corn, or from Perry or Syder. 1 s.

For every Gallon of low Wines of the first Extraction, drawn and made only from Drink brewed, and made of any sort of Malted Corn. One penny.

And for every Gallon of low Wines of the first Extraction drawn or made from Syder or Perry or any mixture therewith. Three pence.

And 'tis further Enacted by the Au­thority aforesaid, that all Distillers and others, who shall draw or make any low Wines, Spirits or Brandy from Corn, shall brew or cause their Corn to be brewed, and made into clean and wholsome drink, and from such drink so made and pre­pared without any mixture with any Mo­lossus, Wash, or Tilts, or other materials, whatsoever, shall draw their low Wines, or Spirits of the first Extraction, &c.

So that the Basis that Distillers are to erect upon, are well brewed Beer, Syder and Perry; therefore the mat­ter of Distillation cannot be so hard, seeing the making of these is so well known in England: but however, there is one thing yet difficult, which is to give a taste to English Spirits, and make it in the second Distillation, like to that of Brandy, and that by the addition only of the Products of Eng­land, so that this would be very ad­vantageous to cause the Wares to be transported to most of the European parts, and this would be wonderfully advantageous both to the Factrage and Products of England, as I shall more largely touch at in the next Chapter. [Page 58]And although I may justly claim right to this Secret, yet I shall be very free to give my Secret to others, with this provisor, that it might advance the good of the publick, which can be no otherwise done than by the Establish­ment of a Brandy Manufacturage; for otherwise the Proverb may prove true, viz. That private Ends carry away pub­lick Profit: Therefore such a Facturage would have some general tendence. First, the chief Cities and Towns in the Kingdom may be supplied with good Wares, which now many come short of. Secondly, the growths and products of the Kingdom of Eng1and, and the Dominions thereunto belong­ing, may be more easily brought to a Country Town, than undergo the troublesome carriage some scores of Miles, there being also the conveni­ency of Fires for. Distillation at cheaper rates; and again they lie more ready and for that reason may be afforded cheaper in the transportation thereof for if they were to be Distill'd here­in London, and carried to Exeter, the carriage by Land (as I am informed) is 7 l, a Pipe, and so by consequence [Page 59]proportionable to every part in Eng­land, and this would so greatly ex­alt the price, that People would ra­ther be contented with indifferent Wares, than pay so dear for better.

And that which is yet more princi­pal, by such a publick Manufacturage, the King's Customs would be highly advanced, and more certain, than in any private hands, whatsoever; for that their Commissioners and Collectors might have open recourse thereunto, with abundance less trouble than now possibly can be: But of this in its pro­per place; let us now return from this Digression to Distillation.

Where let me beg this boon of the Honourable P. that no exceptions may be taken, concerning my prescribing various Products in Distillation; for I desire not to do it to instigate the breaking any English Law; but on the contrary, own a due obedience there­unto, only am willing to serve the Netherland, where I have a Brother­ship, and Natives priviledge too; and also to be serviceable to several I stands belongs to their Majesties, or any of their Dominions; where various [Page 60]things are made use of in Distillation; which we shall here treat of, but First of Malt.

Aqua-vitae is nothing else but well Brew'd Beer, that is strongly Hop'd, and well firmented, but if it should not be fully rich of the Malt, they Distill it as soon as 'tis well wrought, for fear it should flat, and then great part of the Spirit is lost; but if it be very strong, you may keep it to what age you please. The way to Distill it, is thus; Take a large Still, with a Ser­pentine Worm, fixed in a great Hog­shead, with cold Water, to condense the Spirits; or in want of that, an Alim­beck; but at first be not too hasty with the Fire, but by degrees, make all hot until the Spirit come; if the Still is large, the way I best approve for the receiving these Spirits, is, to let it run through a Funnel into an Hogshead, that is placed on the Ground for that purpose, and you are to Distill as long as any goodness will come, which may be known thus, The Taste will be like an unsavoury Water, when all the Spi­rit is off; this Spirit is call'd Low Wine, which let stand 6 or 7 days, [Page 61]and then Distill it a Second time, which is called Rectification, in which it may be brought into Proof-Spirit, or artificial Brandy, which you please: Now in this you may know when the Spirit's off the Second time, by throw­ing some of it into the Fire, if it burns 'tis good, but if it puts forth the Fire the Operation is at an end. These Low Wines and Spirits are proper for making most sorts of Waters, as will be seen in the application thereof. Now if you rectify a Third time in Balneo, 'twill be the better freed from its Fleam, and a true Aqua-vitae is made.

The Dutch way is thus, When the Malt is well made, and new Ground, not above three Hours before 'tis us'd, take thereof Six Bushels, and put it in­to a large Hogshead made for that pur­pose, to stand upon its end, with a Co­ver to keep in the Steam, with an hole in the middle, to put in a stick to stir it upon occasion, moisten the Malt with some cold Water, and then the other water being made Scalding hot, but take care it boils not, put it to your Malt, and stir them well toge­ther, [Page 62]and when almost cold, add halfe a pound of Hops, and let it stand till 'tis cold and fit for Barme; and let it work and ferment four or five days, till it comes to the height of Fer­mentation; then put all the Liquor and Grains into such a Still as before di­rected; Make a gentle Fire, and put not the head into the Worm at first, for fear it should boil over, and so foul the Worm; but if the vapour do kind­ly ascend, then you may lute all fast, and Distill and Rectify as before di­rected: This is a very profitable and advantageous way of Distilling.

Glauber's way, Take as much Malt as your Distillation will require, and in a Kettle full of Water let it boil so long till the Grain is broken, and then pour it out into a Wooden vessel, and when 'tis luke-warm add fresh Druggs or Grounds of Beer, when it is fer­mented enough, which is usually at the end of 2 or 3 days, then Brandy is made in a common Still by Distilla­tion: He recommends this above all other ways, saying, that this protube­rating and burst Corn cannot be burnt and therefore makes good Brandy; Al­so [Page 63]he says, by Decoction the ill Taste is taken from the Corn, which the Brandy otherwise retaineth; Further he says, That if the Corn is so boiled as to be broken, it produceth much more Brandy; therefore calls it an ex­cellent and profitable Secret.

The Spirit of Cyder. The way of making Cyder is well known, when it is well fermented, and come to its full strength, then Distill it as is di­rected in the making Aqua-vitae, it may be rectified to what height you please; the same way will serve for Perry; of either of these, or both of them an excellent Spirit is made to make an Artificial Brandy.

To work up the Grounds of Cyder, Perry or Beer. Thou art first to ob­serve, that if your Grounds are thick, they must be prest through an hair Bag in a great Press; or else in Distillation, they will be apt to burn the Still; you may add to these, equal parts of small Wash, or warm Water; which 'tis fit, head it well with Barm, you may add in some Molassus, and if it ferments not soon enough, then cast in some Powder of Rhenish-Tartar, and this [Page 64]will cause it to come to the height of Fermentation, fit for Distillation, nd then to be Distill'd (as directed) in Malt.

Of Honey, Molassus and Sugar; Take an hundred weight of Honey or Molassus, and 12 or 14 Gallons of Wa­ter, to boil, as is fit for Brewing of Malt, and pour it into an open Vessel, as is prescribed for Malt, and stir them well together, until they are dissolved and united, then when they are cold enough, head them well with Barm, some use small Beer or Wash instead of Water, and then the less Barm will serve: Now in the Fermentation you may add what fragrant Herbs, Flow­ers or Spices you please; and if it fer­ments not well, then throw in some Powder of Rhenish-Tartar, as before directed, the quantity must be pro­portionable to that of the Liquor; this will wonderfully heighten its working; thou must let it stand untill it is well headed, and truly fermented, which, to know, thy experience must be the chief guide; it also must be taken in the nick of Fermentation, for other­wise, if the head of the Tunn begins [Page 65]to fall, much of the Spirits will be lost, if thou work'st well, thou may'st have 9 or 10 Gallons of Low Wines from ever hundred of Honey or Molassus, which thou mayst rectify as thou plea­sest.

For Sugar, by which Flowers, Herbs, Berries are so Fermented, as to yield Good Wines and noble Spirits, being distilled. Take what Flowers or Herbs you please, as for example sake, let it be Elder-Flowers, and bruise them in a wooden Mortar, and to every peck of Flowers add a Gallon of Water, and 2, 3, or 4 pounds of Sugar, as thou wouldst have it in strength, Bar­rel it up, and let it stand till they Fer­ment work, froth and flower, and smell very fragrant; this Fermentati­on may be promoted with Rhenish-Tartar, Ale-yest, and the like: The Spirits must be kept; the way to exalt these Wines into Spirits, will be shew'd in the 7th Chapter.

Of Raisons, and damnify'd ones. take Raisons and pound them in a stone Mortar, and put them into a Barrel, and put boiling water upon them, and when cold, throw in a good handful of [Page 66]Christals of Tartar, or Rhenish-Tar­tar, but some use Calx vive; ferment them very well by adding Ale-yest, Stum, or fixed Nitre and Flower; work it up in a warm place, draw off the Liquor, and press the Dregs out dry, and Distill all, and you shall have ve­ry excellent Low Wines, which being rectified, makes good Brandy-wine.

Of low and dead wines, and their Dregs. Observe, that in the Distil­ling of the dreggs of Wine, you may ferment them with their low and de­cay'd ones, or with the after running of Low Wines, warmed and put into a cover'd Hogshead, and ferment with Stum a pint to every Gallon; or for want of that Barme, they being truly fermented, draw off the Liquor, and let the Dreggs be put in a Canvas Bag, to press out all the moisture, which some perform before they are fer­mented; but however, being ready, they may be Distill'd as long as strength will come, which after 6 or 7 days may be rectified to proof Spirit.

Observe that Stum, which is the Flowers of Wine fermented, kept in strong Vessels, with Iron Hoops, will [Page 67]make an excellent fermentation. It is to be observed, that from low Wines, small Wines, and Lees, Brandys are made in France and Germany through Fermentation.

I cannot omit one thing, which is too too much practised by the common Distillers, in order to make their Spi­rits seem strong, hot and fiery in the Mouth, which to accomplish, they add in the Distillation a pound or two of Spanish Grains, which are sold at the Druggists, and these perform their desire; but this is little advantageous to the Spirit, otherwise than to make it fiery in the Mouth. Now these are the subject matters, from which low Wines have been drawn hitherto; but now the Constitution of Distillation is alter'd, and reduced to three material Pillars, viz. Well-brew'd Beer, with­out any addition, Syder and Perry, to which and in which, may be included all those Wines made and prepared from any of the growths of England, because these have a greater adherence to and more proper for Medicinal use; and therefore presented to Physitians, Apothecaries, and others; which be­ing [Page 68]made use, will answer their de­sired end.

Now I say out of such growths the Customs may be well paid, according to the Tenors of the said Act; and the French Manufacturage may be con­siderably detrimented, if that Distilla­tion were but rightly encouraged; be­cause now all are free, or as many as please to labour therein, as may be seen by the conclusion of the said Act.

Provided also, and be it Enacted, that all Charters and Letters-Patents already made, or hereafter to be made or granted for the sole making of Brandy, Spirits or Strongwaters from Corn or any other sort, or in any manner whatsoever, as a new Invention, or whereby the power and li­berty given by this Act to all persons, for the Distilling and making Brandy, Spi­rits, or Strong-waters from Corn, shall be in any manner restrained, shall be, and are hereby declared and adjudged to be void to all Intents and Purposes whatsoever.

CHAP. VI. Treats concerning English Spirits, and Aqua-vitae being made according to the said Act, from whence 'tis easy to prepare good and wholsome Brandy, little inferior to that of France, with some considerations of the usefullness of erecting a Brandy Manufacturage here in England, &c.

I Say then good and wholsome Beer being brew'd, according to the said Act, or from Cyder, Perry, or from the Wines of the English growths, may be made from all and every one of these good wholsome and vendible Wares, as low Wines, proof Spirits, and Aqua-vitae, and artificial Brandy, as we have often made mention of in this Treatise: I say that I would have none think it strange or difficult to perform this from well brew'd Beer, seeing we are able to bereave the strongest Vegetable Concrets, many ways of its external Sulphur; so that it shall only retain the taste and qual­lity [Page 70]of the Vita media, and then it is not discernable from others, and a proper Sulphur being introduced will perform the same all one as Rhenish Wine is converted into Muscodell by the Scarlea; to this agrees that pro­found Glauber, where he saith, that if you'l make Corn Spirits into Brandy-Wine, in a rellish like that made from Lees of Wine, then you must rectify it upon the Lees of Wine; for this way by the Oyl of Wine, which is plentiful amongst the Lees, the end is obtained, and may in all things be used instead of that. But now we have not in England the advantage of Wine Lees, as they have in Germany, France, and on the Rhine; and Pro­hibition being made with France, that which we have will be soon spent, so that great business of Art is to perform this by the growths and products of England, I say then, that we know a way very advantageous in the sweeting of Spirits, both in the action of Fer­mentation and Distillation to propose a middle way without any infusion or distillation of any of the Vinor twiggs to produce an artificial Brandy-wine in [Page 71] England, and from its own growth, so good and as vendible as that of France; and so near in taste, that none but the most acute pallates can discern the difference; and this we are able to give publick demonstration of.

The way to perform it, is in gene­ral thus; The low Wine being made, you are to bereave it of its gross Sul­phur, which is very easily done, then its strong smell and taste will be lost; as to the Specificated and Domineering qualities thereof, this may be perform'd even on Rum, which is the strongest in smell and taste of any other Vinor Spirit, drawn from any of the Vege­table Concrets, and then a middle nature must be introduced, naturali­zating it to lhat of Brandy; we say then, that Caparaticks and Signature thereof belongs to Venus, and so do Vitriolicks; but the Christals of Tartar and Alkalizates belong to the Sun, to which Venus is near a-kin; for Venus is found to better the Tincture of Sol, to which the Vine belongs; now Bar­ley and Malt belongs to Jupiter, which must be warm'd by the friendly rays of Venus to be impregnated with the [Page 72]Idea's of Sol; and what shall we say of Wheat, seeing it is the staff of Man's Life, whose Oyl hath a principal sig­nature with the Vine, having its sweet and friendly quallities from Jupiter, its generating power from Venus, and its strength from Sol, and by its Lunar Milk the Chyle is strengthned, from whence the Mercurial life proceeds: But oh! oh! where are you got, me­thinks, the Man and the Mare is fled up in the Air, and there to seek their Nests. But however, if so, the Sun is there rarifying the same, and giving forth of its solar Virtue to the lunar Matrix, which is conveyed through the Air unto beings; we say then, that he, who knows the Airy Life of beings, and how to concatinate the pure Efflu­viums thereof, so as to make it cor­poreal, may boldly depend that he knows the nature of that by which a transmutation of form is made; of this nature is Glaubers Sal Mirabilis; Para­celsus's Sal Enixum, and my Sal Pana­ristos: We see 'tis an easy matter to take the Garments off a poor man, and give him more rich ones; so 'tis the same in this case, if we have a true [Page 73]Knowledge of the Fountain of Nature. And if the Philosophers in the Mine­ral Kingdom, can transmute Jupiter into vendible Sol; why then may not the true Spagiricks in the Vegetable Kingdom change the nature of Saturn and Jupiter into that of Venus and the Sun, seeing Transmutation is so generally allow'd, and we suppose at this time of day no rational man makes doubt of its verity: Thus much for the way of making Artificial Brandy-Wines. We shall now offer some Considerati­ons for the Encouragement of a Brandy Manufacturage to be established here in England.

The First Consideration that offers it self is, that by such a Facturage great consumptions of Corn would be made, and so the Tillage in this Kingdom would be considerably advanced, the Malt-Corn and such other grain used would be advanced in its Price, so that the Farmer might well live on it, and yet make Just payments to his Landlord, which is by many now found to the contrary; and many Farms (to our Knowledge) are in di­vers [Page 74]places in this Kingdom vacant, which might well be employed.

Another Consideration, this being a publick thing, the publick stocks of those concern'd therein would be able to uphold such a Facturage above all by-ends and self-Interest of any parti­cular person whatsoever; so that Di­still-houses and Ware-houses being e­rected in every County-Town in Eng­land, or the Dominions thereunto be­longing, the Neighbouring Inhabitants might have easy recourse thereunto to bring in their Wares at Market price, and receive either Wares or ready Money for the same; so for Wood or other materials requisite: by this means, trading would be promoted, and Money brought to circulate more freely.

Another Consideration is, by this way and method abundance of Carri­age and Recarriage would be saved, and yet the Wares lye ready for Tran­sportation, for which reason they might be afforded abundantly more cheaper to all the Foreign Plantations than otherwise; and by this means we should considerably out-do our Neigh­bouring [Page 75]Countries, and yet very con­siderably advance our own.

Another Consideration is, whereas Spirits are to be Distill'd from good and wholsome Beer, we say then, the first mashing is only fit to be distilled, and the second mashing might be brew'd into very good 2d gallon Beer, which would be of great service to the poor Inhabitants, many of which now drink Water for want of conve­niencies to brew; we therefore wish it was united with and joyned to the Linen Manufacturage. Then as to the Grains, they might be fetch'd off while sweet, to feed their Oxen, Cat­tle, and Hoggs withal; by this means, we say, not only many thousands of poor would be employed, and so Trading advanced, and the Land en­riched; not that, but the Kings Re­venues (as we touch d at before) more certain than otherwise. We have many more Considerations to offer of this nature, but we shall omit them till we see how these are received. And so proceed to shew the Use and Application of these Low Wines, Spi­rits and Aqua Vitae's, in making seve­ral [Page 76]sort of Cordial Waters proper to be used in Families, &c.

CHAP. VII. Treats concerning the exaltation of high Spirits, and how to make the Powers of Scurvey-grass, Elder-berries, with their Virtues; also to make other high Spirits, fit for China, Japan, or Lack­varnish, &c.

IN this Chapter we shall Treat con­cerning the highest Exaltation of Vinor Spirits, viz. so perfectly bereaved of their Flegm, as to fire Ganpowder: Of this nature is the Spirit of Scurvy-grass, and Spirit of Elder, and Hunga­rian-water, which I shall shew by seve­ral [Page 89]Examples, beginning my Founda­tions from the Wines of the Third Chapter, and First of,

Potestates Cochleariae, or the pow­erful united Spirit of Scurvy-grass. ℞ The Scurvy grass Wine, and Distill there from its Spirit, which, put upon fresh Scurvy-grass, and Distill again, re­peat this operation, till it become very strong and fragrant of the Grass, and will burn all away in a Spoon, then by Distillation, make the Oil of Scurvy-grass, and by Calcination, its fixed Salt, and Spagirically, re-unite these, and so have you the Powers, or whole Virtues thereof; and if 'tis rightly done, 'twill look very green, by which the Authors may be known.