Oftncreafing Houshold^jluffe. qi

whereby this trtiy be effected, yet let this way alone content you, to cast it into hocboiling wax that is scummed and clarified: lor, by this means it will become sosoft and pliant, that you may easily fashion it with your fingers, and make it frama-ble to any use. Oncly you must bee sure that it be very new.

Chap. IX.

How Bruits may bt drenched in Honey, to make them last far a long time.

T He Antients finding by experience, that the shutting up of fruits in vessels, andthe drenching of those vessels in water, was a notable preservative against cor-ruption, did thence proceed farther, and began to drench the fruits themselves indivers kinds of liqours j supposing that they might be the longer preserved, if theywere sow fed in honey, wine, vineger, brine, and such like , in as much as these li-quors have an especial vertuc against putrefaction: For honey hath an excellent forceto preserve, not fruits onely, but also even the bodies of living creatures from beingputrefied, as we have elsewhere shewed that Alexanders body, and the carkafs ofthe Hippocentaur Were preserved in honey. Mcer water they did not use in thiscafe; because, that being moist in it self,might seem rather to cause putrefaction. Butof all other liquors, honey was most in request for this purpose, they supposing it tobe a principal preserver against corruption. Columella faith

That Quinces may be preserved in honey without putrefaction ;

We have nothing more certain by experience, faith he, then that Quinces are wellpreserved in honey. You must take a new flagon that is very broad brimmed, andput your Quuinccs into it, so that they may have scope within , that one may nocbruise another; then when your pot is full to the neck, take some withy twigs, andplat them over the pots mouth, that they may keep down the Quinces somewhatClose, least when they should swell with liquor, they should float too high : then fillup your vessel to the very brimme with excellent good liquefi’d honey , so that theQuinces may be quite drowned in it. By this means, you shall not oncly preservethe fruit very well, but also you shall procure such a well relished liquor, that it willbe good to drink of. But in any case take heed, that your Quinces be through ripewhich you would thus preserve: for if they were gathered before they were ripe,they will be so hard ,that they cannot be eaten. And this is such an excellent way,that though the worm have seized upon the Quinces before they were gathered, yetthis will preserve them from being corrupted any farther: for such is the nature ofhoney, that it will suppress any corruption, and not suffer it to spread abroad: forwhich cause it will preserve the dead carkafs of a man , for many years together,without putrefaction. PaUadim faith, that Quinces must be gathered when theyare ripe, and so put into honey, whole as they are, and thereby they will belong preserved. Pliny would have them first to be smeared Over with wax,and then to be fowsed in honey. Apititu faith, Quinces must be gathered withtheir boughes and leaves, and they must be without any blemish, and so put intoa vessel full os honey and new wine. The Quinces that were thus dressed, werecalled Me lime la, that is to fay, Apples preserved in honey : as Martial wicneffeth,saying, Quinces fowsed in pure honey, that they have drunk themselves full,are cal-led Mclimcla. Likewise Columella sheweth that

Other kind os Apples may be so preserved ,

Not onely the Mclimela , but also the Pome-paradise, and the Sestian Apples, andother such dainties may be preserved in honey > but because they are made sweeterovthe honey, and so lose their own proper relish which their nature and kind doth

, or r.’ therefore he was wont to preserve them by another kind of practise. P aHa-dius faith, That

Pears may be preserved tn Honey,

V it