47 / 90
CUPS
AND
THEIR
CUSTOMS.
35
OLD
RECIPES.
First
and
foremost
among
compound
drinks,
with
regard
to
priority
of
date,
stands
Hydromel,
the
favourite
beverage
of
the
ancient
Britons,
which
is
probably
the
same
as
that
made
and
used
at
the
present
day
under
the
name
of
Metheglin,
a
word'
derived
from
the
Welsh
Medey-glin,
and
spoken
of
by
Howell,
who
was
Clerk
to
the
Privy
Council
in
1640.
In
ancient
times,
however,
this
compound
was
made
by
simply
diluting
honey
with
water
;
but,
at
the
present
day,
substances
are
usually
added
to
it
to
cause
it
to
ferment
;
and
when
made
in
this
way,
it
differs
little
from
mead
or
bragget.
Recipe
for
Metheglin.
To
nine
gallons
of
boiling
water
put
twenty-eight
pounds
of
honey,
add
the
peel
of
three
lemons,
with
a
small
quantity
of
ginger,
mace,
cloves,
and
rosemary
when
this
is
quite
cold,
add
two
tablespoonfuls
of
yeast.
Put
this
into
a
cask,
and
allow
it
to
ferment;
at
the
expiration
of
six
months,
bottle
it
off
for
use.
Another
favourite
drink
in
olden
times
was
that
called
^^
Lamb^s
WooV^
which
derived
its
name
from
the
1st
of
November,
a
day
dedicated
to
the
angel
presiding
over
fruits
and
seeds,
and
termed
^^
La
Mas-ubal,^^
which
has
subsequently
been
corrupted
into
^^amb^s
wool/^