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[Page 308]
A RECEIPT how to make L'EAU DE VIE.
WRITTEN AT THE DESIRE OF A LADY.
1 GROWN old, and grown stupid, you just think me fit,
2 To transcribe from my grandmother's book a receipt;
3 And a comfort it is to a wight in distress,
4 He's of some little use — but he can't be of less.
5 Were greater his talents; — you might ever command
6 His head, — ("that's worth nought") — then, his heart and his hand.
7 So your mandate obeying he sends you, d'ye see,
8 The genuine receipt to make L'eau de la vie.
9 Take seven large lemons, and pare them as thin
10 As a wafer, or, what is yet thinner, your skin;
11 A quart of French brandy, or rum is still better;
12 (For you ne'er in receipts should stick close to the letter:)
13 Six ounces of sugar next take, and pray mind
14 The sugar must be the best double-refin'd;
15 Boil the sugar in near half a pint of spring water,
[Page 309]16 In the neat silver sauce-pan you bought for your daughter;
17 But be sure that the syrup you carefully skim,
18 While the scum, as 'tis call'd, rises up to the brim;
19 The fourth part of a pint you next must allow
20 Of new milk, made as warm as it comes from the cow.
21 Put the rinds of the lemons, the milk and the syrup,
22 With the rum in a jar, and give 'em a stir up;
23 And, if you approve it, you may add some perfume;
24 Goa-stone, or whatever you like in its room.
25 Let it stand thus three days, — but remember to shake it;
26 And the closer you stop it, the richer you make it.
27 Then filter'd thro' paper, 'twill sparkle and rise,
28 Be as soft as your lips, and as bright as your eyes.
29 Last, bottle it up; and believe me the vicar
30 Of E— himself ne'er drank better liquor:
31 In a word, it excels, by a million of odds,
32 The nectar your sister presents to the Gods.
About this text
Author: Charles King
Themes:
food; drink
Genres:
receipt / recipe
References:
DMI 31279
Text view / Document view
Source edition
Mendez, Moses. A collection of the most esteemed pieces of poetry: that have appeared for several years. With variety of originals, by the late Moses Mendez, Esq; and other contributors to Dodsley's collection. To which this is intended as a supplement. London: printed for Richardson and Urquhart, 1767, pp. 308-309. [8],320p. ; 8⁰. (ESTC T124631; DMI 1073; OTA K099398.000) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [Harding C 148].)
Editorial principles
The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.