Wellcome Collection: Catchmay, Lady Frances (d.1629) (MS.184a)

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This Booke with the others of medicins, preserves, and Cookerye, My lady Catchmay lefte with me. to be delivered to her Sonne Sir William Catchmay Earnestly desiringe and Chardginge him to lett every one of his Brothers and Sisters to haue true Coppyes of the sayd Bookes, or such parte therof as any of them doth desire, In witness that this was her request, I have herevnto sett my hand at the delivery of the sayd Bookes.

Edward Bell
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Iesus: 1 3 A booke of medicens:

A prayer to be sayd at all tymes to defend thee from thy Enemyes: 1.

In the name of Iesus, In the name of Iesus, In the name of Iesus, in the name of Iesus Iesus, Iesus, as my trobles doe Come; lorde so lett them goe; the father i mee, the sonne i mee, the holy ghoste i mee, three personnes & one god, three in trinitye & one in vnitie, saue, keape & defend me from all my Enemyes this daye & evermore: Christ is mersifull & I am sinfull, I beseache thee sweete Iesus forgive me my sinnes, & graunt me my bonne, that I may have the vpper hand over all my Enemyes this daye & evermore: the spiritt of god stand betweene & me & all my Enemyes this daye & evermore: In the name of Iesus, in the name of Iesus in the name of Iesus: in the name of Iesus. Iesus, Iesus, in the name of the father of the sonne, & of the holy ghoste: so be it: Amen.

{=+} The receipte of george kebells aquacomposita: .2 for a surfett, or in a great extrematy

Take of mightie stronge & stale Ale three gallons, of lycoras cleane scraped & brused half a pounde, of Anyseedes cleane dressed & brused one pounde:

of fenell seedes} of carroway seedes} of saxifrage seedes} of pioney seedes} of eche of thos ^halfe one vnce of winter savory seedes} smale cutt: of basill seedes} of the seedes of amond} of the seedes of ameos}

of the seeds of selery mountanency two drammes:

of ginger} of nvttmegges} of gallingall} of eche of thos one vnce: of great gallingall}

of cloves} of longe pepper} of cubebes} of eche of thos half an vnce of calomine aromaticur} smale brused

of sinamum brused} of Iry rootes slyced} of the Rootes of Elyrampane dried & thine slyced} of eche two vnces: of the Rootes of tussilage}

of bay berryes blanched & brused one vnce:

of settwell} of spignard} of eche of thos a quarter of an vnce: of mace} of lignum allowes}

of the Rootes of Angelica slyced, & of the seeds brused} of cassia ligi[?]a sliced} of giniper berryes or of the woode thinne sliced} of Redd Rose flowers} of eche of those on[...] of the flowers of sticardine} handfull of Saint Iohns woorte} of the herbe canapitis} of dixnamis cretius} of pimpernell; of philippendula;} of scabor: of bittaney} of igremony

of egremoney } of plantayne } of eche of thos an handfull of camamell flowers}

of the wood or tree called tamariscur:} of the rootes of salsa parilla brused} of eche of them one vnce of the rootes of Eiue}

of the rootes of gentian sliced two drammes

of the gomme of mirre} of olibanum} of eche of these one vnce of masticke}

of Alkauit one vnce of suger fower vnces./

The order of drawinge your aquacomposita:

Halfe your sinamun, your lignum allowes, the Rootes & seedes of Angelica must be reserved out of the brasse pott & knitt in a linen bagge, & layd into the receyvor, wher your lycour must Runne into, & by & by your Alkauitt must be putt into the receyver also reserve out of the brasse pott all your herbes & flowers vntill the last draught comme; All your other spices, seedes, rootes & gommes must be putt with halfe the Ale in the brasse pott, then sett your lymbecke & close it fast, keapinge the head of your limbecke alwayes with could water, & drawinge it so longe, as it will come good which is tryed by castinge alittle of it into the fier, yf it burne it is good or els nott, then take of your limbecke charely, & power out all the stuffe that is in the little bagges that is in the Receyver, & all the rest of your flowere & herbes & a gallon & a halfe of freshe Ale (beinge the other halfe) putt vnto them, & sett on your limbecke, & drawe it as you did before, & the sinamun & sugar was lefte must be putt in the Receyvor agayne, when all is drawen out, putt your first draught & last together & keepe it for your vse:

howe to make a perfume to preserve mankind from the Infection of the plauge, & also to bourne it in presses for the preservation of Clothes, beddinges or hanginges 2.

Take puer ould giniper, shave it as thinne as maye be an vnce of the flower & herbe of Saint Iohns worte halfe an vnce, of the Gummes of olibanum, of masticke, of puer Chosen mirre, of eche of thos one vnce, your gummes grinde greate, your saint Iohns worte hacke smale your shavinges of giniper in lyke sorte , then mixte all together; & putt them in some convenient vessell, or boxe, then add therto puer turpentine of venishe as muche as will make it lyke a peece of paste, take the quantitiye of halfe a nvttmegg, & laye it on a hott tyle eyther in your Chamber or in the parlor beneathe when you goe to bed at nighte./

The order of makinge three kindes of pepper for expellinge of Wynde: 3

Take of puer suger fower vnces, Rose water as muche as will moysten your suger which is in the posenett, then haue redye thes spices followinge, White pepper, black pepper, of eche of thes halfe a dramme, puer gallingale sliced, & fine minced, ginger pared & fine minced of eche of thos one scrupell & a halfe, puer Chosen curbitt white & goummey cleane scraped thinne slyced & finelye minced two scrupells, your Rose water & suger scumme it as cleane as may be & then lett them boyle with a softe fire, then putt in all your spices aforesaid & sturre them diligentlye, then take it from the fier, & sturr it till it be could & thicke, & thes putt into a glasse pott & reserve to your vse, of this you may take the quantitye of a peny or two pence at a tyme: -
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An oynement for the heate of the reynes or els Wher in the bodye:-

Take of the oyle of Roses sixe vnces, of cleare white waxe two vnces, as fine as may be scraped, thes resolve together on the fier, & scumme them as cleane as may bee then haue a dishe of Rose water, & three sponefull of Rose vineger mixt together, strayne your other stuffe vnto it, & labour it a longe tyme in the lycour, & last of all haue redye camphion in as fine powder as may be a dramme, & worke it till it be could, the vse of this oynement is for the backe & head as for the eyes:

The makinge of the oyle of chery otherwise called the winter gill-flower: 2.

Take what quantitye you will of your flowers wey them, put the like weight of puer hogges larde not salt & a quarter of the weight more & stampe them together, & putt vnder a softe sweete fier seethe them till the leafe be parched & then strayne them & then put so manye flowers agayne & so serve them three tymes:

{+} To make oyle of popular budds: 3.

Take of popular budds halfe a pownde cleane pickt & stampt smale [?ep] of hogges greace which is very puer take the like weight & halfe as muche more, this stampe together in a stone morter to one substance, then putt it into an earthen pott close covered that no ayer come into it, lett it stand so six dayes till it be horey, then take it forthe & putt it onto a cleane panne, & lett it boyle on a softe fier alwayes sturinge it, the herbe beinge parched then strayne it & keepe it for your vse. it will delay all heate about a mans body & procure sleepe: in like manor the oyle of marche mallowes is made:

To make a man or woman make water stronge from them: 4

Take of grommell seede halfe an vnce, of seene cleane pickt from the stalkes a quarter of an vnce of ginger scraped & sliced thinne, of sinamon scraped & brused, of eche of thos one dramme of damask prunes seven, the stones taken out, of white wyne a pinte, putt all the stuffe in a pott with the pinte of white wyne, cover it close & stoppe it with past. sett that in an other pott with Whott lycour, that the one stande in the other for the space of a longe hower, that the pott may be hott, & then take it forthe, sett it bye till it be coulde then strayne it, & after put in sugar as you like:.

{+} A powder to make teeth cleane & without ache: 5.

Take of drye sage, of allame, of pepper, bay salt, of eche of thos like weight, thes make in powder, & preserve them in a boxe, & take a sage leafe with powder, & rubbe your gummes with it when you will:.-

for fayntnes at the harte: 6.

Take the flowers of sentorye, a good handfull, cleane picked from the greene, of seene leaves cleane picked from the stalkes a dramme & a halfe, of puer sinamon a quarter of an vnce, well brused of white wyne a pinte, thes put all together in a pott & suger close as you list close covered, & sett in a pott with whott lycor for the space of one hower, then lett it stande all nighte & in the morninge strayne it inot a fayer pott & putt good store of sugar, lett it simper & simper till it come to a syroppe, & of this you may take two or three sponefulls at a tyme in the morninge fastinge.

To make suger of roses very good for the bluddy fluxe or laske: 7.

Take of Redd Rose buddes not all blowen a pownde the white ends cutt off, & haue redye of puer springe water three pintes, of puer white suger three powndes, halfe the water sett to the fier putt in your halfe suger, sett it on a softe fier alwayes scumme it as longe as scumme will rise, & then putt in your Roses little by little alwayes sturringe it so lett it boyle till the Rose[...] be as tender as may be, & then take vpp your Roses with a little scummer out of the lycour & lay them in a fayer dyshe by the fier side & then putt the rest of your suger into the lycor

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