Take of Rosemary three handfuls, of Winter-savory a Peck by measure, Organ and Thyme, as much, White-wort two handfuls, Blood-wort half a peck, Hyssop two handfuls, Marygolds, Borage, Fennil, of each two handfuls; Straw-berries and Violet-leaves, of each one handful; Of Harts-tongue, Liverwort a peck; Ribwort half a peck, of Eglantine with the Roots, a good quantity; Wormwood as much as you can gripe in two hands; and of Sorrel, Mead-sutt Bettony with the Roots, Blew-bottles with the Roots, the like quantity; of Eye-bright two handfuls, Wood-bind one handful.  Take all these herbs, and order them so, as that the hot herbs may be mastered with the cool.  Then take the small herbs, and put them into the Furnace, and lay the long herbs upon them.  Then take a weight or stone of Lead, having a Ring, whereunto fasten a stick to keep down the Herbs into the furnace; then boil your water and herbs three or four hours, and as the water doth boil away, adde more.  Then take the water out of the Furnace seething hot, and strain it through a Range-sieve; then put in the honey, and Mash it well together:  then take your Sweet-wort, and strain it through a Range.  Then try it with a New-laid-egg.  It must be so strong as to bear an Egg the breadth of a groat above the Liquor:  and if it doth not, then put in more honey, till it will bear the Egg.  Then take the Liquor, and boil it again; and as soon as it doth boil, skim the froth very clean from it:  Then set it a cooling, and when it is cold, then put it into a Kive, and put barm thereto, and let it work the Space of a Week; Then Tun it up:  But be careful when it is Tunned, that the vessels be not stopp’d up, till it hath done hissing.

ANOTHER SORT OF METHEGLIN

Take to one part of honey, three parts of water:  and put them into clean vessels, mixing them very well together, and breaking the honey with stripped arms, till it be well dissolved.  Then pour out your Liquor into a large Kettle, and let it boil for two hours and a half, over a good fire, skiming it all the while very carefully as long as any scum riseth.  When it is boiled enough, pour out your Liquor into clean vessels, and set it to cool for 24 hours.  Afterwards put it into some Runlets, and cover the bung with a piece of Lead:  have a care to fill it up always with the same boiled Liquor for three or four months and during the time of working.  This Meath the older it is, the better it is.  But if you will have your Meath red, then take twenty pound of black Currants, and put them into a vessel, and pour your Liquor on them.  Of this honey-Liquor you cannot drink till after nine months, or a year.

MY LORD HERBERT’S MEATH