Note E459 — 91.

To make Aqua Composita, chap. 223: "Take of Sage, Hysope, Rosemarie, Mynt, Spike or Lauender leaues, Marioram, Bay leaues, of each like much, of all foure good handfulles to one galon of liquour. Take also of Cloues, Mace, Nutmegs, Ginger, Cinnamon, Pepper, Graines, of each a quarter of an ounce, Liquorice and Annise, of each halfe a pound: beat the spices grosse [not fine, coarse], and first wash the herbes, then breake them gently betweene your hands. Scrape off the barke from the Liquorice, and cut it into thin slices, and punne [beat, pound] the Annise grosse, then put altogether into a gallon or more of good Ale or Wine, and let them steepe all night close couered in some vessell of earth or wood, and the next morning after distill them with a Limbecke or Serpentine. But see that your fire be temperate, and that the head of your Limbecke be kept colde continually with fresh water, and that the bottom of your Limbecke bee fast luted with Rye dough, that so Ayre issue out. The best Ale to make Aqua Composita of is to be made of Wheate malte, and the next of cleane Barley malte; and the best Wine for that purpose is Sacke."—Cogan's Haven of Health, ed. 1612, pp. 222-3.