scum it very clean.  Then set it a cooling as you do Beer; and when it is cold, take some very good Ale-barm, and put it into the bottom of the Tub you mean the Metheglin shall work in, which pour into the Tub by little and little, as they do Beer, keeping back the thick settling, which lieth in the bottome of the vessels, wherein it is cooled.  And when all is put together, cover it with a cloth, and let it work very near three days.  And when you mean to put it up, scum off all the barm clean, and put it up into your Barrel or Firkin, which you must not stop very close in four or five days, but let it have a little vent, for it will work; and when it is close stopped, you must look to it very often, and have a peg in the top, to give it vent, when you hear it make a noise (as it will do) or else it will break the barrel.  You may also, if you please, make a bag, and put in good store of sliced Ginger, and some Cloves and Cinnamon, and boil it in, or put it into the barrel and never boil it.  Both ways are good.

If you will make small Metheglin, you may put five or six Gallons of water to one of honey.  Put in a little Cinnamon and Cloves and boil it well.  And when it is cold, put it up in bottles very close stopped, and the stopples well tyed on.  This will not keep above five or six weeks, but it is very fine drink.

Make your Metheglin as soon as ever you take your Bees; for if you wash your combs in the water you boil your herbs in, when it is cold, it will sweeten much.  But you must afterwards strain it through a cloth, or else there will be much wax.

TO MAKE MEATH

If you will have it to keep a year or two, take six parts of water, and one of honey; But if you will have it to keep longer, take but four parts of water to one of honey.  Dissolve the honey very well in the water, then boil it gently, skimming it all the while as the scum riseth, till no more scum riseth.  Then pour it out of the Copper into a fit vessel or vessels to cool.  Then Tun it up in a strong and sweet cask, and let it stand in some place, where there is some little warmth; (It will do as well without warmth, but be longer growing ripe) This will make it work.  At first a course foul matter will work over; to which purpose it must be kept always full with fresh Liquor of the same, as it worketh over.  When it begins to work more gently, and that which riseth at the top, is no more foul, but is a white froth; then fill and stop it up close, and set it in a cool cellar, where it is to stand continually.

After half a year or a year, you may draw it off from the Lees into a clean vessel, or let it remain untouched.  It is not fit to be drunk for it’s perfection till the sweetness be quite worn off, yet not to be sower, but vinous.  You may drink it at meals instead of wine, and is wholesomer and better then wine.

To small Meath, that is to be drunk presently, you may put a little Ginger to give it life, and work it with a little barm.  If the Meath work not at all, it will nevertheless be good, and peradventure better than that which worketh; but it will be longer first, and the dregs will fall down to the bottom, though it work not.