Book XI, chapters 1–9: Perfuming

THE ELEVENTH BOOK OF Natural Magick: Of Perfuming.

THE PROEME.

AFter Distillation, we proceed to Unguents and sweet smells: it is an Art next of kin to the other; for it provides odors of the same things, compounds and mingles Unguents, that they may send forth pleasant sents every way, very far. This Art is Noble, and much set by, by Kings and great Men. For it teacheth to make Waters, Oyls, Powders, March-panes, Fumes; and to make sweet Skins that shall hold their sent a long time; and may be bought for little money: not the common and ordinary way, but such as are rare, and known to very few.

CHAP. I.

Of perfuming Waters.

I Have in the former Book shewed how sweet Waters may be distilled out of Flowers and other things, as the place dedicated to Distillation did require: here now I will teach how to compound sweet Waters and Flowers, that may cast forth odoriferous sents: as first,

To make a most sweet perfumed Water.

Take three pound of Damask-Roses, as much of Musk and Red-Roses, two of the Flowers of Orange, as many of Myrtle, half a pound of Garden-Claver, an ounce and a half of Cloves, three Nutmegs, ten Lillies: put all these in an Alimbeck, in the nose of which you must fasten of Musk three parts, of Amber one, of Civet half a one, tied up together in a clout: and put the Nose into the Receiver, and tie them close with a cloth dip'd in Bran and the white of an Egg mixed: set a gentle fire under it, until it be all distilled.

Another.

Take two pound of Rose-water, of Lavender half one, of Certan-Wine thirteen drachms; of the Flowers of Gilliflowers, Roses, Rosemary, Jasmine, the Leaves of Marjoram, wilde Betony, Savory, Fennel, and Basil gentle, half a pound; an ounce of Lemmon-peel, a drachm of Cinnamon, Benjamin, Storax and Nutmegs: mix them, and put them in a Glass, and set them out in the Sun for four dayes; then distil them with a gentle fire: and unless you put Musk in the Nose of the Alimbeck, tie it up in a rag, hang it by a thread in the Water, whilst it standeth sunning for a month. Set it in the Sun, to take away the scurvy savor of the distilling, if by chance it conceive any.

Aqua Nanfa.

Take four pound of Rose-water, two of Orange-Flowers, one of Myrtle, three ounces of sweet Trifoil, one of Lavender: add to these, two ounces of Benjamin, one of Storax, the quantity of a Bean of Labdanum, as much Mace and Cloves, a drachm of Cinnamon, Sanders, and Lignum Aloes, an ounce of Spikenard: let these all be grossly beaten, and boyled in a vernished earthen Pipkin over a gentle fire, for the space of an hour; then let them cool. Strain them through a Linen-cloth, and set it up in a Glass close stopt. But tye up the Cinnamon, Cloves, Lignum Aloes and Sanders in a thin Linen-cloth; and so put them into the pot, and boyl them, as I said before, and afterwards take out the bundle: for after the boyling of the water, the remaining dust may be formed into Pills, and made into Cakes, which may be used in perfuming, as I shall teach hereafter. This Water is made divers ways, but I have set down the best: yet in the boyling, it will turn coloured, and become red, so that Hankerchiefs or white Linen, if they be wetted in it, are stained, although they are made wonderfully sweet: which maketh many forbear the use of it. Wherefore, if we would have

Aqua Nansa clarified,

Take the former Water, and put it into a Glass-Retort, and set it in Balneo, over a gentle fire: the VVater will become clear, and almost of the same sent: onely a little weaker: keep the Water, and lay aside the rest of the Foeces for sweet Cakes.

CHAP. II.

To make sweet Water by Infusion.

NOw I will teach how to make perfumed Liquors, and what Liquors they are, which will receive odors best; for VVater is unapt to keep sent, Oyl is better, and VVine, (we may assign the reason out of Theophrastus: for VVater is thin, […]oid of taste or sent, and so fine, that it can gather no sent) and those Liquors which are thick, savory, and have a strong sent. VVine, although it be not sweet of it self, yet being placed nigh any odour, it will draw it, because it is full of heat, which doth attract. VVater, being cold by Nature, can neither attract, nor receive, nor keep any sent: for it is so fine, slender and thin, that the odour flieth out again, and vanisheth away, as if there were no foundation whereon it could fix and settle, as there is in VVine and Oyl, who are more tenacious of sent, because they are of a denser and callous Body. Oyl is the best preserver and keeper of sent, because it is not changeable: wherefore Perfumers steep their perfumes in Oyl, that it may suck out their sweetness. We use Wine to extract the sent of Flowers, and especially, Aqua Vitae; for Wine, unless distilled, infecteth the Water too much with his own sen[…].

Musk Water.

This VVater setteth off all others, and maketh them richer; wherefore it is first to be made. Take the best Aqua Vitae, and put into it some Grains of Musk, Amber and Civet, and set them in the hot Sun for some dayes: but stop the Vessel very close, and lute it; for that will very much add to the frangrancy of it. A drop of this put into any other water, will presently make it smell most pleasantly of Musk. You may do the same with Rose-water and Fountain-water often distilled, that it may obtain a thinness and heat, which is very necessary for the extraction of Essences.

Water of Jasmine, Musk-Roses, Gilliflowers, Violets and Lillies,

is extracted the same way: for these Flowers send forth but a thin odour, which dwelleth not in the substance of them, but onely lieth scattered on the superficies; so that if they remain too long on the fire, or in their Menstruum, their sweetness degenerateth from its former pleasantness, and is washed off by the mixture of the stinking ill-savoured part of their substance. VVherefore we must lay their Leaves onely in the best Aqua Vitae, that is, the Leaves of Lillies, Jasmine, Musk-Roses; and the rest; hanging them on a threed, that when the VVater hath sucked out their odour, we may pluck them out, because their odour lieth onely on their superficies; so that if they should remain long in the Aqua Vitae, it would penetrate too deep into them, and draw out a sent, which would not onely destroy their former sweetness, but taint them with an ill savour, which accompanieth those inward parts. After these Leaves are taken out, supply them with fresh, until you perceive their sent is also extracted. But take out the Violets and the Gilliflowers sooner then the rest, lest they colour the VVater. This VVater, being mixt with others, taketh away the scurvy sent of the VVine.

A sweet compounded Water.

Take a great Glass-Receiver, and fill the third part almost of it with Aqua Vitae: put into it Lavender-Flowers, Jasmine, Roses, Orange and Lemmon-Flowers. Then add Roots of Iris, Cypress Sanders, Cinnamon, Storax, Labdanum, Cloves, Nutmegs, Calamus Aromaticus, with a little Musk, Amber, and Civet. Fill the Glass, and stop it well. But after you have filled the Glass with the Flowers, they will wither and sink down: wherefore fill it up with more. Set it in a very hot Sun or in Balneo, until their sweetness be all extracted. Then strain out the Water; and one drop of it in Rose-water, or of Myrtle-Flowers, will perfume it all with a most fragrant smell.

CHAP. III.

How to make sweet Oyls.

HOw to extract Oyl out of Spices and sweet things, is declared before: now I will shew how to draw sents out of other things with Oyl: or, as I said before, to make Oyl the ground in which odours may be kept and preserved a long time; which is done either by imbibing the Oyl with odors, or the Almonds out of which we afterwards express the Oyl.

How to make Oyl of Ben,

which is the sweetest Oyl of all, used by the Genois: take an ounce of Ben, a drachm of Amber, as much Musk, half a drachm of Civet: put them in a Glass-bottle well stopt, and set it in the Sun for twenty days; then you may use it. But be sure that it be close stopt: for the Nature of odors being volatile and fugitive, it quickly decayeth, loseth his fragrancy, and smelleth dully.

A way to make odoriferous Oyl of Flowers:

it is a common thing, but very commodious for Perfumers, and may be used for other things: he that knoweth how to use it rightly and properly, will finde it an Oyl very profitable to him. Blanch your Almonds, and bruise them, and lay them between two rows of Flowers. When the Flowers have lost their sent, and fade, remove them, and add fresh ones. Do this so long as the Flowers are in season: when they are past, squeeze out the Oyl with a press, and it will be most odoriferous. You may draw a sent with this way, out of those Flowers, from whom you cannot draw sweet Water. Oyl of Jasmine, Violets, Musk-Roses, Lillies, Crows-foot, Gilliflowers, Roses, and Orange-Flowers, and of others, being made this way, smelleth most fragrantly. Oyl of Amber, Musk, and Civet, may be thus made also: Cut the Almonds, being blanched from the top to the bottom, into seven or eight slices, and enclose them in a Leaden Box with these perfumes for six days, until they have imbibed the sent: then press them, and they will yield a most sweet Oyl; and yet perhaps not make the Musk much worse.

CHAP. IV.

How to extract Water and Oyl out of sweet Gums by Infusion.

VVE may extract sweet VVaters by another Art that we spoke of before, out of Gums, by Infusion and Expression: as for example.

A sweet Water of Storax, Benjamin, and Labdanum,

which affordeth a most sweet savour, and is thus extracted. Infuse Storax or Benjamin being bruised, in as much Rose-water as will cover them two fingers over: set them in Balneo, or a warm place for a week: then distil them in Balneo, and you will have a very pleasant Water from them, which you must expose to the hot Sun, that if there should remain any stink of the smoak in it, it may be taken away. We may also put Gums into Glass-Vessels, and make a slow fire under it: there will sweet out a very little water, but of sweet savour, and the Gum will settle to the bottom, which will be useful for other things.

To extract Oyl of Benjamin, Storax, and other things.

We may do this, by beating and mixing these Gums with Oyl of Almonds or of Ben, and macerating them in Balneo for a month: then draw out the Oyl either by a Retort or by Expression, which is better; it will yield a most fragrant odour, that you can hardly perceive whether it were drawn out of the Gums themselves by a Retort. Ben, called in Latine Glans Unguentaria, is used in precious Oyntments in stead of Oyl. Pliny calleth it Morobolane. So also Martial,

What not in Virgil nor in Homer's found,
Is of sweet Oyl and Acorn the compound.

It is without any sent, and therefore fitter to receive them; and when it doth receive them, to reserve them, for it never groweth rank.

CHAP. V.

How to perfume Skins.

NOw we will discourse of the perfuming of Skins, which is performed several ways, either by sweet Waters, or rubbing them with Oyls, or laying them in Flowers, so that they may attract their odor. And first,

How to wash Skins,

that they may lose the sent of the Beasts and of Flesh. The manner is this: First wash them in Greek-Wine, and let them lie wet for some hours: then dry them, and if the sent continueth in them still, wash them again: that being taken away, wash them in sweet Waters. Take four parts of Rose-water, three of Myrtle, or Orange-Flowers two, of sweet Trifoli one, of Lavender half one: mix them, and put them into a wide mouthed earthen Vessel, and steep the Skins in them for a day. Then take them out, and hang them up in the shade to dry: but when they are almost dry, stretch and smooth them with your hands, that they may not be wrinkled. Do this thrice over, till they savour of the sweet Waters, and lose their own stink. Next

How to perfume Skins with Flowers.

They must first be rub'd over with Oyl; for, as I have told you, that is the foundation of all sents, both to attract them, and retain them in a greasie body. It may be done with common Oyl, but better with Oyl of Ben, because it is without any sent of his own: best of all with the Oyl of Eggs, which I have taught before how to make. The manner is thus: Anoynt your Gloves or Skins with a Spunge on the inward side, and especially, in the Seams: when that is done, you may thus make them attract the sent of any Flowers. Violets and Gilliflowers blow first in the Spring; gather them in the morning, and lay them on both sides of your Skins for a day. When they grow dry sooner or later, fling them away, and lay on new; stirring or moving them thrice or four times in a day, lest they make the Skins damp, and grow musty. When these Flowers are past, lay on Orange-flowers and Roses in the same manner: and last of all, Jasmine, which will continue until Winter: I mean, Garden-Jasmine, for it flourisheth two or three months. Thus your Skins or Gloves will become very sweet in a yeers space. The odour will quickly fade and die: but if you do the same the second time, it will continue much longer, and preserve their pleasantness. It very much preserveth their fragrancy, to keep them in a close place, in either a Wooden or Leaden Box: but if you lay them among Linen, it will suck out their odour, and dull their sent.

How to perfume Skins.

If you add Musk, Amber, and Civet to the aforesaid Skins, they will smell much more sweet and gratefully. Or take four parts of Western Balsam, one of Musk, as much Amber, and rub it on your Gloves with a Spunge, and they will smell very sweet. I will add one more excellent Composition: Take eight parts of Iris, one of Sander, two of Benjamin, four of Rose-Powder, one and a half of Lignum Aloes, half a one of Cinnamon, or rather less; soften them all with Rose-water and Gum-Tragacanth, and grinde them on a Porphyretick Marble: then anoynt your Gloves with it in a Spunge, and take three Grains of Musk, two of Amber, one of Civet: mingle them, and rub them also on.

How to take the sent out of Gloves.

If you repent your self of perfuming them, or would make sport with any one, boyl a little Rose-water or […]qua Vitae; and while they be hot, put the Gloves in, and let them remain there awhile. This will take away their sent: and if you steep other Gloves in it, and dry them, they will imbibe it.

CHAP. VI.

How to make sweet Powders.

NOw we come to making sweet Powders, which are either Simple or Compound: they are used in stuffing sweet Bags, in perfuming Skins and Compositions. Learn therefore

How to make Cyprian Powder.

Take Moss of the Oak, which smelleth like Musk; gather it clean, in December, January, or February: wash it five or six times in sweet Water, that it may be very clean: then lay it in the Sun, and dry it. Afterwards, Steep it in Rose-water for two dayes, and dry it in the Sun again. This you must iterate oftentimes; for the more you wash it, the sweeter it will smell. When it is dried, grinde it into Powder in a Brass-Morter, and seirce it: then put it into the ceive, and cover it: make a fire, and set some sweet waters to boyl over it; or cast on some perfumed Cakes, and let the fume arise up into the ceive. The more often you do this, the stronger and more lasting sent will be imbibed by the Powder. When you perceive it to have attained a sufficient odour, take one pound of the Powder, a little Musk and Civet powdered, and a sufficient quantity of Sanders and Roses: beat them in a Brass-Morter; first putting in the Musk, and then by degrees casting in the Powder; so mingle them well. At last, put the Powders into a Glass close stopt, that the sent may not transpire and grow dull. There are several Compositions of this Powder, which would be too tedio[…] to recount. It may be made, either white, or black, or brown. The white is made of Crude Par[…]er washed in Rose-water, or other sweet Water; and adding Musk, Amber, Civet, and such-like, it will smell at a good distance.

CHAP. VII.

How to make sweet Compounds.

THere may be made divers kindes of sweet Compounds; of which are made Beads, which some use to reckon their Prayers by, and others to trim their clothes with: also wash-Balls to cleanse and sweeten the hands. And first,

How to make sweet Balls

with small charge, which yet shall seem to be very costly and sweet. Take one ounce of Cyprian Powder, and Benjamin of the best mixture, which is brought out of Turky; half an ounce of Cloves, a sufficient quantity of Illyrian Iris. First, melt some Gum Tragacantha in Rose-water: then with the former powder make it into a Mass, and rowl it up in little Balls: bore them thorow, and fix every one on a several tent upon the Table: then take four Grains of Musk, dissolve it in Rose-water, and wash the outside of the Balls with it: then let them dry: afterwards wet them again, for three or four times, so will they cast forth a most pleasant sent round about, which they will not quickly lose. But if you would bestow more cost, and have a greater sent, I will shew

How to make them another way.

Take one ounce of Storax, of Amber half one, a fourth part of Labdanum cleansed, one drachm of Lignum aloes and Cinnamon, an eighth part of Musk. Beat the Gum, Storax and Amber in a Brass Morter with an Iron Pestle, being both hot: when these are well mixed, cast in the other powders, and mix them all together: at last add the Musk; and before they grow cold, from what you please of them. I will add also

Another Compound,

very necessary in a time of Plague, which will not onely refresh the Brains with its sweet odour, but will preserve it against infection: Take three ounces of Labdanum, as much Storax, one of Bejamin, an ounce and a half of Cloves, an ounce of Sanders, three of Champhire, one of Lignum Aloes, Calamus Aromaticus, and juice of Valerian, a drachm of Amber: mix all these in the juice of Balm, Rose-water, and Storax dissolved. But to wash the Face and Hands, I will set down a most Noble Composition

Of washing Balls or Musk-Balls.

Take the fat of a Goat, and purifie it in this manner: Boyl a Lye with the Pills of Citron in a Brass Kettle; let the fat remain in it for an hour: then strain it thorow a Linen-cloth into cold water, and it will be purified. Make the Lye of two parts of the Ashes of the Ceruss-Tree, one of Lime, and half a Porringer of Alom; mingle them, and put them in a wooden Bowl, with two holes in the bottom, stopt with Straw: then pour in water, that it may cover them three fingers over, and strain it out thorow the holes: when the first is run out, add another quantity of water, and so the third time, whilst the water doth receive any saltness. Keep these several runnings asunder, and add some of the second & third unto the first, while a new Egg will swim in it: for if it sink and go to the bottom, it will be too weak; therefore add some of the first running. If it swim on the top, and lie upon the surface of the Water, put in some of the second and third running, until it descend, so that scarce any part of it be seen above the Water. Heat twenty pound of this Water in a Brass Kettle, and put into it two of the fat: then strain it out into broad Platters, and expose it to the hot Sun, mixing it often every day. When it is grown hard, make Pomanders of it, and reserve them. You may thus perfume them: Put two pound of the Pomanders into a Bowl, and with a VVooden Spoon, mix it with Rose-water, till it be very soft: when it hath stood still a while, and is grown hard, add more water, and set it in the Sun: do this for ten days. Then take half a drachm of Musk, somewhat less Civet, and as much of Cinnamon well beaten: mix them, and if you add a little Rose-powder, it will smell much sweeter: then judge of it by your nose. If the sent be too weak, add more of the Perfumes; if too strong, more of the Soap.

How to make Soap, and multiply it.

Since we are fallen upon the discourse of Soap, we will not pass it over this: Take Soap Geta, and reduce it into a small Powder: set it on the fire in a Brass Kettle full of Lye of a moderate strength; so that in three hundred pound of Lye, you may put fourscore of Soap. When the Water beginneth to boyl up in bubbles, stir it with a wooden Ladle; and if the Lye do fail in the boyling, add new. When the Water is evaporated, take the Kettle from the fire, and cast in six pound of ordinary Salt well beaten; and with an Iron Ladle empty it out, and let it cool all night. In the mean time, prepare a brine, so sharp that it will bear an Egg. In the morning, cut the Soap into slices, and put it into a broad Vessel, and pour the brine on it: there let it stand one quarter of a day, and it will become very hard. If you put some Sal Alchali into the brine, it will make it much harder.

CHAP. VIII.

How to make sweet Perfumes.

IT remaineth, that we speak of Perfumes; for they are very necessary for the senting of Skins, Clothes, and Powders, and to enrich Noble mens Chambers, with sweet odors in Winter: they are made either of Waters or Powders.

How to make Perfumes of Waters.

Take four parts of Storax, three of Benjamin; of Labdanum, Lignum Aloes, and Cinnamon, one; an eighth part of Cloves, a little Musk and Amber. Beat them all grossly, and put them in a Brass Pot with an ounce and a half of Rose-water. Set the Pot over the fire, or hot Ashes, that it may be hot, but not boyl; it will cast forth a pleasant odor: when the Water is consumed, put in more. You may also add what you have reserved in the making Aqua Nanfa: for it will send out a very sweet fume.

Another way.

Take three parts of Cloves, two of Benjamin, one of Lignum Aloes, as much Cinnamon, Orange-Pill and Sanders, an eight part of Nutmeg. Beat them, and put them into a pot, and pour into them some Orange-flower-water, Lavender, and Myrtle-water, and so heat it.

Another way.

Express and strain the juice of Lemmon, into which put Storax, Camphire Lignum Aloes, and empty Musk-Cods: macerate them all in Balneo for a week in a Glass-Bottle close stopt. When you would perfume your Chamber, cast a drop of this Liquor into a Brass Pot full of Rose-water; and let it heat over warm Ashes, it will smell most pleasantly.

Excellent Pomanders for perfuming.

Take out of the Decoction for Aqua Nanfa, Lignum Aloes, Sanders, Cinnamon and Cloves; and of the remaining Powders make a mass, which you may form into cakes, which being burnt on hot Ashes, smell very sweetly. I take out the Cinnamon and the Woods, because in burning they cast forth a stink of smoak.

Another way.

Take one pound and a half of the Coals of Willow, ground into dust, and seirced; four ounces of Labdanum, three drachms of Storax, two of Benjamin, one of Lignum Aloes: mix the Storax, Benjamin, and Labdanum in a Brass Morter with an Iron Pestle heated, and put to them the Coal and Lignum Aloes powdered. Add to these half an ounce of liquid Storax: then dissolve Gum Tragacantha in Rose-water, and drop it by degrees into the Morter. When the powders are mixed into the form of an Unguent, you may make it up into the shape of Birds, or any other things, and dry them in the shade. You may wash them over with a little Musk and Amber upon a Pencil; and when you burn them, you will receive a most sweet fume from them.

Another Perfume.

Anoynt the Pill of Citron or Lemmon with a little Civet; stick it with Cloves and Races of Cinnamon: boyl it in Rose-water, and it will fill your chamber with an odorifeous fume.

CHAP. IX.

How to adulterate Musk.

THese Perfumes are often counterfeited by Impostors; wherefore I will declare how you may discern and beware of these Cheats: for you must not trust whole Musk-Cods of it, there being cunning Impostors, who fill them with other things, and onely mix Musk enough to give its sent to them. Black Musk inclining to a dark red, is counterfeited with Goats blood a little rosted, or toasted bread; so that three or four parts of them beaten with one of Musk, will hardly be discovered. The Imposture may be discerned onely thus: The Bread is easie to be crumb'd, and the Goats blood looketh clear and bright within when it is broken. It is counterfeited by others in this manner: Beat Nutmegs, Mace, Cinnamon, Cloves, Spikenard, of each one handful, and seirce them carefully: then mix them with the warm blood of Pigeons, and dry them in the Sun. Afterward beat them again, and wet them with Musk-water and Rose-water: dry them, beat them, and moysten them very many times; at length, add a fourth part of pure Musk, and mix them well, and wet them again with Rose-water and Musk-water: divide the Mass into several parts, and rowl them in the hair of a Goat which groweth under his Tail. Others do it

Another way, and

mingle Storax, Labdanum, and Powder of Lignum Aloes: add to the Composition, Musk and Civet, and mingle all together with Rose-water. The Imposture is discovered by the easie dissolving of it in water; and it differeth in colour and sent. Others augment Musk by adding Roots of Angelica, which doth in some sort imitate the sent of Musk. So also they endeavour

To adulterate Civet

with the Gall of an Ox and Storax liquified and washed, or Cretan Honey. But if your Musk or Amber have lost their sent, thus you must do,

To make Musk recover its sent,

hang it in a Jakes and among stinks: for by striving against those ill savours, it exciteth its own vertue, reviveth, and recovereth its lost sent.