Leechdoms, wortcunning, and starcraft of early England. Being a ...

:
LEECH BOOK. IJ. 295
soap, for eight mornings of chervil, a moderate quantity, Book II.
^^'
in wine., a third part cdso of water ; then
''
let him take
the netherward part of cucumber, rub it up into
foreign ale, sweeten with honey, let the man di-inlc
that the tenth night, for meat let him take the drink
at three times at the three cock crowings,
3. For the yellow disease ; take the netherward part
of helenium, contrive that thou mayest have it on the
previous day ; when first thou usest it, take three
pieces in the morning and three at night, and they
shall be hits of it sliced into honey ; and the second
morning four pieces, and four at night; and the third
morning five pieces, and five at night ; and the fourth
morning six, and six at night. The following drink
shall avail for the same ; take alexanders and groundsel,
pound them small, and form them into a potion in
clear ale. If a man have sudden ailments, make three
marks of Christ, one on the tongue, the second on the
head, the third upon the breast, soon he will be well.
To keep the body in health with prayer to the Lord
this is a noble leechdom : take myrrh and rub it into
wine, so much as may be a good stoup full, and let
the man take it at night fasting, and again when he
will rest ; that wonderfully upholdeth the health of
the body, and it also is efficacious against the evil
temptings of the fiend.
4. This is the noblest leechdom for the same ; take
myrrh and white frankincense, and savine and sage, and
dyeweed, and of the frankincense and of the myrrh
let there be most, and let the others be weighed, of
them let there be equal quantities ; and have them
rubbed to dust together in a mortar, have them set
under the altar, when it is Christmas tide, and let one
sing three masses over them, for three days in midwinter,
and at St. Stephens tide, and St. John the
evangelists day, and for those three days let the man
take the leechdom in wine at night fasting, and what
there is left of the dust hold and keep ;
it is power-