Book IX, chapters 11–20: Adorning women and making them beautiful

CHAP. XI.

How the Face may be made very soft.

THe next Beauty of the Face and Hands, is Tenderness, which is procured by fat things; and chiefly by Milk, and principally of Asses: for it takes off wrinkle, and makes the skin white and soft. And therefore, it was not for nothing, that Poppaea Sabina, Nero's wife, had always five hundred Asses with her: and in a Bath with a […]ear, she soaked all her body with that Milk. Wherefore if you would have

Tour Face made soft and white,

Steep crums of Bread in Whey or in Milk; then press it out, and with that water wash your Face; for it will wonderfully white your Face, and make the skin fair. Or, take six Glasses of Milk, steep crumbs of Bread in it five hours: take ten Lemmons, make clean the Pills, and cut the Body of them into thin slices: then shake ten whites of Eggs; bruise an ounce of Camphire, Allom Sauharinum, two ounces; mingle them all, and distil them, and set it in a glazed Vessel close covered, in the Sun; and then set it up for your use. Here is one stronger

For the same purpose.

Boyl two Calfs Feet in water; first make them clean: then boyl the water till half be consumed; put it in Rice one pound, and boyl it well: let crums of Bread steep in Asses Milk or Goats Milk, with ten whites of Eggs bruised with their Shells: distil all at a gentle fire; add to the water a little Camphire and Borax: put into a glazed vessel, two yong naked Pigeons, with their guts taken forth, and put in as much Milk as will cover them; and add one ounce of Borax; Turpentine, three ounces; Ca[…] phire, one ounce; five whites of Eggs: put on the cover, and distil them; for it is fat things that make the Face soft. I shall say more, when I come to speak of making the hands white and soft: the reason is the same for both.

CHAP. XII.

How to make the face clear and shining like silver.

THe face is not onely made clear, but white as silver, by those things that I said were white as silver; yet not exactly as silver, but they shine as clear as silver. There is an herb commonly called Argentaria, or Argentina, or wilde Tansey, whose leaves are green above, but on the backside they shine of a silver colour: the distilled water of it is drank by women against spots in their faces, and to make them white as silver. The snails that are found in moist places, and leave behind them, as they creep, a silver cord (Dioscorides saith, will cure the spots in the face) women much desire them: for they put them in a still and draw out water from them, that polisheth the skin exceedingly, and makes it contract a silver gloss. And the seashell-fish, like an ear, whose shell is of a silver colour within, or pearl colour, and many kinds of shells; that being steeped in vinegar, will grow pure, casting off the outward crust; as the Oystershel doth that brings forth pearl. There are also shells, we call the Mothers of pearl, that inwardly are shining, and of a silver colour, like pearls: all which women use for their art of beautifying themselves; for they make the face smooth, and to shine as white as silver. But pearls do it best of all things, when they are dissolved in sharp juyces, and soaked in rotten dung, till they send forth a clear oyl, that is the best thing to beautifie the face, as I shall shew elsewhere. For the same use, is a glass-stone used, that shines like silver. But no better water is prepared, then from Talk, or Quick-silver, as I shall shew in that which follows.

CHAP. XIII.

How to dissolve Talk for to beautifie women.

THough I shall speak in a work, on purpose, more at large, how Talk may be dissolved into water or oyl; We shall here onely set down, how it may be fitted for womens use. Of all such ways as are used, I shall set forth such as I have tried to be good. Beat Talk in a mortar of metal; then put it into a pot of the strongest clay, and cover it, and bind it in with strong iron wyer; lute it well all cover, and stop the joynts that nothing breathe out; and set it in the Sun to dry. Then put this stone in an oven, that flames strongly, or in some other place, where the fire is most vehement. When the fire of the oven is out, take it forth and break the vessel; and if it be well calcined, it is enough: Otherwise do the same again, until the calx of it be as white as it ought to be. When the calcined body of it, is white, as it must be, grind it on a porphyry-stone, and put it into a little bag, or upon a marble in a very moist place, or deep well, or cistern; and let it lie there long, and with much moisture it will drop forth at last: It will more easily and perfectly dissolve into water, if it were burnt long enough, and turned into a calx. For the parts being turn'd to lime, and made exceeding dry by force of fire, they attract moisture. It is also done

Another way

that is good. Calcine the Talk, and put it in an earthen pot, and set it in the hottest part of a potters oven, to stay there six days. When the Talk is thus turn'd to a calx, put it into a gourd-glass, which you shall first make clean, and make a hole at the bottom of it: and setting a vessel under it, you shall have the moisture of it drop forth, and the calx will resolve into water: put this into a glass vial, and let the water evaporate in Bal[…]eo: take the sediment out for your use. I use also

Another way:

Put snails in an earthen vessel, in the open air, that they may be kept hungry three days, and pine for want of meat, and be purged; then take a silver Loadstone, or Talk, most finely powdred, mingle it with the white of an egge, and make an ointment; anoint the earthen vessel with it, and put the snails into it, for they will eat up all the Talk: When they have eaten all, and voided their excrements, bruise the snails with their shells; and putting them into a retott, draw out their moisture with a gentle fire; the humour that drops forth, will exceedingly adorn the face.

CHAP. XIV.

The preparation of Sublimate.

I Said, that there was nothing better than quick-silver for womens paints, and to cleanse their faces, and make them shine. Wherefore, I shall set down many ways to Prepare it, that you may have the use of it to your desire. Take one ounce and half of pure quick-silver, not falsified with lead: for if there be lead mingled with it, all your labour is lost. How it must be purged and known, I taught elsewhere. Mingle this with half a pound of Mercury sublimate, and put it into a marble mortar, and with a new wooden pestle, stir it well, turning it round about. First, it will be black, in six hours it will grow white, if you cease not to beat it. Then adde one ounce and half of white salt, always turning it about with the p[…]stle; for the more you grind it, the perfecter it will be. When it is very well ground, it must be washt. Sprinkle boiling clear water into the mortar, and stir it; and then stay a while, until the muddy part may sink down, and the filth that was lighter, and swims on the top: laying the vessel on one side, pour out the water gently, and pour in fresh; do this five or six times in the same manner, until the pure and onely powder remain without dregs: make little cakes of it, and dry it in the sun. Some whilst they bruise it, sprinkle water on, lest the powder by grinding should be made so small, that it should fly away into the air. The chief business is to purge it, and grind it well, that it be not troubled when it is strain'd forth: that which is gone to the bottom, and so part of it be lost; some open a hole in the belly of a pot, that when it is settled, the hole being opened, the water with the dregs may run forth. Others to sublimate, adde a third part of quick-silver, and grind it in a wooden mortar; and in the […]an while they chew four grains of mastick in their mouths, and they spit the clammy spittle out of their mouths into the mortar, until it be white, as I said: then they boil it in one pound of the distilled water, of Bryony-root, till it be consumed: then they put a linnen cloth, to receive it at the mouth of the vessel, and so they strain it forth, and set it in the sun: they make […]roches of it with gum Traganth; others to sublimate, add a sixth part of quick-silver, bruising it round about: then they adde camphir, borax, and ceruss, half as much, and mingle all together. The principal matter is, it is the best way to sprinkle it with water whilst you grind it, lest by grinding it, the powder become so light, that it fly away: also, when the water is poured on, all the filth will come on the top, and more easily be poured off: then when the sublimate is washed, it is left to settle down: then again pouring off the former water, they pour on fresh, and they wash it oft, till they see it is enough, and no black swims on the top. But there is no better, as we said, than

Water of quick-silver.

But some will not away with quick-silver, by reason of the hurt it commonly doth to the teeth: but they use other water. Yet there is no better water, then that which is extracted from quick-silver; it is so clear and transparent, and the face anointed with it, shines like silver: it draws the skin handsome, and makes it soft by and by; and I never saw a better: the manner was shewed before.

CHAP. XV.

How white-lead is prepared for the face.

BEcause sublimate is so dangerous, there is a private way to do it with ceruss, but not the usual way, that women may have their desire, without hurting their skin or their teeth. I am now come to the business of ceruss. Take of swines grease well washed and cleansed in common water, at least ten times: put it in to a lye of sweet water, and after fifteen days, into a pot, or earthen vessel, with a broad mouth; pouring in the sharpest vinegar, put in your swines grease, that the vinegar may swim three fingers above it: then fasten a plate of lead on the mouth of the pot, well luting the joynts with linnen cloths, that the vinegar may not evaporate. Every fifteen days take off the cover, and see how it is, if the lead be dissolved, and scrape the cover of all that hangs upon it, and put in the cover; anoint it all about, and let it stand so long, till all the rest be performed, as I said before, and the whole lead be turned to ceruss. Ceruss must be washt thus: Pour water into a vessel, put the ceruss into it; stir it up and down, that what dregs there is may swim on the top: the ceruss is heavy, and will sink to the bottom: Pour forth what swims above in the vessel, and pour on fresh water; and do this so often, until the pure ceruss be found without dregs: dry it, and lay it up. If you will do it

Another way,

Take two handfuls of cleansed barley, let it steep all night in fair water; then dry it on a linnen cloth, spread abroad in the sun. When it is dried, poun it in a marble mortar; when it is bruised, put it into a glazed vessel, which is full of vinegar, and cast upon this four whole eggs, with their shells: then stop the vessel with a plate of lead, that is arched, or not very even, and let there be no place that gives vent. Set it half in the sand, and let it stand in the open sun; after ten days, take off the covering of the vessel, that you stopt it with; strike down the ceruss that is in it with a feather, and scrape it off: then take the eggs out, and put in new, and do as you did; and after so many days scrape it off, until the whole plate be consumed. Let down the ceruss you have stricken off, into a vessel full of water, bound up in a linnen cloth that is clean, and moderately fine; and stir it in the water, carrying it about here and there, until the muddy part of it run forth, and the sediment remain in the cloth: let the water settle, and strain it, and pour it forth, changing the water so long, until no dregs remain. Lastly, strain forth the water, and lay up the powder when it is dry. This alone with fountain water, will make the face white, mingled with the white of an egge, and will make it shine. Some

Another way

wash ceruss, and make it pure. Mingle hards of hemp, with whites of eggs well stirr'd: role up the ceruss in the middle of it: and wrapping a cloth about it, boil it one hour in a new earthen pot, putting water to it: as it boils, take off the skum: then take it from the fire; and if any Lead be sunk down, cast it forth: afterwards make Troches of it with Gum-Traganth, that it may keep the better. Some bid boyl in water of white Lillies, Ceruss very finely powdered, tied up in a skin, and fastned in a Linen-cloth over it to the handle of the Vessel. The manner of boyling is the same as I first shewed. Then pour it forth into an earthen dish, and strain it gently from all its moysture: dry it fifteen days in the Sun, and keep it.

CHAP. XVI.

The best Sopes for women.

I Shewed in particulars how you might procure whiteness, lustre, and softness to the Face: now shall I speak of waters made of these, that will at the same time make, if it be first rub'd clean,

The Face white, clear, ruddy and soft.

These I speak of can do it, being composed together, and distilled. Take Ceruss ready washed, one ounce; half as much Mercury sublimate; Gum-Traganth as much; Tartar, one ounce: powder all these, and put them into a young Pigeon washed and unbowelled, and sow them in: put it into a new Earthen Pot full of water, distilled by a Retort: boyl it till the flesh part from the bones; then distil it: when you go to bed, wash you Face; and in the morning wash it with Fountain-water: so you shall have it white, clear, soft, and well-coloured. Also you may do it

Another way.

Bruise three pound of Bean-Cods, the shells; add two pounds of Honey, and one of Rosin of Turpentine: put them into a Vessel, and close it that nothing vent forth; and let it ferment eight days in dung: then add four pound of Asses milk: and in the Vessel draw forth Oyl at the fire; use this water morning and evening. If you will have

Another way,

do it thus. Distil all these severally; Elder-flowers, and Flowers of wilde Roses, Broom, Honey-sn[…]kles, Solomons-seal, and Briony-Roots, sowre Grapes, and Sarcocolla: mingle equal parts of each, or distil them again, and set them in the Sun. This will be the best. I shall shew

Another for the same.

Pull of a Hens Feathers without water, take out her Entrals, cut her in pieces, let infuse one night in white-Wine: in the morning wash her in it, and press her between your hands that no Wine remain; and then adding two Cups of white-Wine, distil her in a Chymical Vessel: then distil the Flowers of Bindeweed, Citrons, Oranges together; and keep this water by it self. Then open Lemmons, and press out the juice. And, also take water of Bean-flowers; then distil six cups of Asse[…] milk, and as many of Cows-milk. You shall do the same with water of Gourds, and of Milk well boyled, and of water of Bean-flowers, and of Rosin of Turpentine. Then provide a glazed Vessel, put into it, Camphire two drachms, four ounces of Ceruss finely powdered: mingle them with the aforesaid waters, and set it in a soft Vessel in the open Air fifteen days and nights. When you would use it, wet a Linen-rag in it, and wash your Face.

CHAP. XVII.

How to make the Face Rose-coloured.

I Have made the Face white, now I will make it red, that the wise may be made wholly Beautiful for her husband. And first,

To make a pale Face purple-coloured.

And to adorn one that wants colour, use this Remedy. Take Vinegar twice distilled, and cast into it the raspings of red Sanders, as much as you please: boyl it at a gentle fire, adding a little Allom, and you shall have a red colour most perfect to dye the Face. If you would have it sweet-smelling, add a little Musk, Civet, Cloves, or any Spices. Now

Another,

Take Flowers of Clove-Gilliflowers, bruise the ends of the sprigs, and draw forth the juice; if they be so ripe that they are black, add juice of Lemmons, that they may shine with a more clear red. With this paint your Face, and you shall have a pleasant red colour without any stinking smell; or wet the sprigs of Clove-gilliflowers in juice of Lemmons, and set them in the Sun. Take away the old, and put in fresh, until it be as red as you would have it: let the juice dry, and the color will be most glorious. But I draw a quintessence from Clovegill flowers, Roses, Flower-gentle, with Spirit of Wine; then I add Allom, and the juice of a Citron, and I made an excellent colour to beautifie the Face. Take

Another.

If you add to the best Wine one tenth part of Honey, and one ounce of Frankinsence[…] and then distil it, and steep in it the raspings of red Saunders until it is coloured to your minde; and then wash your Face with it: it will make your Face white and well-coloured. Also,

A Fucus that cannot be detected:

And it is so cunningly made, that it will delude all men; for a cleer water makes the Cheeks purple-coloured, and it will last long; and the cleerer the part will be, the more your wash it with it, and rub it with a cloth of Woolen. You shall draw out a water from the Seeds of Cardamom, (which the Apothecaries call Grains of Paradise) Cubebs, Indian Cloves, raspings of Brasil and Spirit of Wine distilled: when they have been infused some time, draw forth the water with a gentle fire, or corrupt Dung, and wet your Face often with this. There are also Experiments

To colour the Body.

If you boyl Nettles in water, and wash your Body with it, it will make it red-colored, if you continue it long. If you distil Straw-berries, and wash your self with the water, you shall make your Face red as a Rose. But the Ancients dyed their bodies of divers colours; partly, for ornament; partly, for terrour: as Caesar writes of the Britans going to war; for they painted themselves with wood. Theophrastus calls it Isatis, and we call it Guado. The Grecian-women painted themselves with wood, as Zenophon writes. And in our days the West-Indians crush out in Harvest-time a blood-red juice from the Roots of wilde Bugloss: which the women know well enough, whereby they cover their pale colour with a pleasant red: and so change their over-white colour with this Experiment.

CHAP. XVIII.

To wash away the over-much redness of the Face.

I Have shewed you how to colour the Face, now I shall shew how to uncolour it: when the Face is too red, and women that are very red desire this. The way is:

To wash away the too-much redness of the Face,

Take four ounces of Peach-Kernels, and Gourd-Seed two ounces; pown them, and crush them out strongly, that you may draw forth an oyly Liquor: with this, morning and evening, anoynt the red Carbuncles of your face, and by degrees they will vanish and be gone.

Another.

Take Purple-Violets, Egg-shells, Saunders Camphire mingled with water: set the water in the open Air, and wash the redness therewith. Also, I know that the distilled water of white Lillies will take away the redness.

CHAP. XIX.

How to make a Sun-burnt Face white.

WHen women travel in the open Air, and take journeys in Summer, the Sun in one day will burn them so black, that it is hard to take it off. I found out this

Experiment.

Beat about ten whites of Eggs till they come to water: put them in a glazed Vessel, adding one ounce of Sugar-Candy to them: and when you go to bed, anoynt your Face, and in the morning wash it off with Foutain-water. Pliny also saith thus.

Another.

If the Face be smeered with the white of an Egg, it will not be Sun-burnt. With us, women that have to do in the Sun, to defend their Faces from the heat of it, that they may not be black, they defend it with the white of an Egg beaten with a little Starch, and mingled; and when the Voyage is done, they wash off this covering with Barley-water. Some do it

Another way:

rubbing their foul Skin with Melon-Rindes; and so they easily rub off Sun-burnings, and all other spots outwardly on the Skin. The Seed also bruised and rubbed on, will do it better. Also, a Liquor found in little bladders of the Elm-Tree, when the Buds first come forth, makes the Face clear and shining, and takes away Sun-burnings.

CHAP. XX.

How Spots may be taken from the Face.

OFt-times fair women are disgraced by spots in their Faces; but the Remedy for it, is this: to use Abstergents and Detergents in whiting of their Faces. Therefore,

To take off spots from the Face,

anoynt the Face with Oyl of Tartar, and let it dry on, and wash it not at all: do this for ten days: then wash it with a Lixivium, and you shall see the spots no more. If the part be not yet clean enough, do it once more. If this please you not, take

Another.

Put Quick-Lime into hot water; mingle them, and stir them for ten days. After two days, pour forth the clear water into a Brazen Vessel: then take Salt-Ammoniac between your Finger-tops, and rub it so long at the bottom of the Vessel, until you see the water become of a blew-colour; and the more you rub it, the better colour it will have, and it will turn into a Skie-colour or Purple-colour, very pleasant to behold. Wet Linen-cloths in this water, and lay them on the spots, till they be dry; and wet them again, till the spots be gone. See

Another.

Take two ounces of Turpentine-Rosin, Ceruss as much; mingle them with the white of an Egg; and stirring them well, besmeer Linen-cloths with them. And when you go to bed, let them stick to the spots: in the morning wash the place; and do the same again, till all the spots be gone. If you please, here is

Another.

The distilled water of Pimpernel, mingled with Camphire and laid to the Face, will make women that desire to be beautiful have a cleer Skin, very sightly to behold; and will take off the spots. Distil the Mulberry-Leaves; let the water stand ten dayes in the Sun: add to this, Mercury sublimate, Verdigrease, artificial Chrysocolla, called Borax, and a good quantity of the Powder of Sea-Cockle-shells finely beaten. Set it so many dayes in the Sun, and then use it. If you will

rub off the wan colour of your cheeks,

do thus; especially, for women when they are in their courses: Anoynt the place with Ceruss, and Bean-flower mingled with Vinegar; or yelks of Eggs, mingled with Honey. The same may be done with Bean-meal and Feny-Greek, smeered on with Honey. But we wipe away

Black and blew marks

thus: If you wash the black and blew places with the juice of the Leaves and Roots of Thapsia made into Cakes in the Sun, but one night, they will be taken away. Nero Caesar made his Face white from the strokes he had received in his Nightwalks, with Wax and Frankincense; and the next day his Face was clear against all reports. Or Oyl pressed from the Seeds of Flowers, when it is thick, will do it rarely. Or the Root mingled with equal quantities of Frankincense and Wax, (but let it […]ay on but two hours at most) then foment the place with Sea-water hot. Also, Wal-nuts bruised or smeered on, will take away black and blew spots. Vinegar or Honey anoynted will take away the same. So doth Garlick rubbed on: and brings black and blew to the right colour. Or the Ashes of it burnt, smeered on with Honey. The juice of Mustard-Seed, anoynted on but one night, is good for the same: or it is anoynted on with Honey, or Suet, or a Cerate. If a Briony-root be made hollow, and Oyl put into it, and it be boyled in hot Embers; if that be anoynted on, it will blot out black and blew spots. Marks that are noted upon Children by Women great with-child, when they long exceedingly, are taken away thus: Let her first eat of that Flesh or Fruit her belly full: then let her binde on that Flesh alive, or the green Fruit to the part, till it die or corrupt; and they will be gone. Or else, let her wash the place with Aqua Fortis, or Regia, and the Skin grows very black: so it will take the marks away. Do it again

For spots and beauty.

I will not omit Aelian's Experiment of a Lion, which is a kinde of Locust. For in some Membranes, where the Testes are bound together, under which there are some soft Carbuncles, and tender, that are called the Lions fat; This will help people to make ill Faces look comely, mingled with Oyl of Roses; and made into an Oyntment, it will make the Face look fair and shining.