1869 Drinking Cups and their Customs (Mixellany)

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CUPS AHD THEIB CUSTOMS.

OLD BE0IP1S.

FIRST and foremost among compound drinks, witli re- gard 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 3 and spoken of by Howell, who was Clerk to the Privy Conneil in 1640. In ancient times, how- ever, 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 j and when made in. this way, it differs little from mead or bragget. Metheglm* 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 tablespoonfiils of yeast. Put this into a cask, and allow it to ferment j at the expiration of six months, bottle it off for use. Another favourite drink in olden times was that called "Lamb's Wool/' 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 cc lamb J s wool/*