SC - Palladius #4 - long orig text

Wed Jun 17 16:59:41 PDT 1998

Hello, here is the next instalment of Palladius' treatise on gardening 
and associated skills.  To remind you, it was translated in about 
1420 into English and at the time of publication (1870) resided in 
Colchester Castle.

Martius:  Book the fourth

Counteracting the bitterness of oranges, and preserving them:
69      Thai sayen thaire bitter margh wol channge sweete
        Her seede in meth III daies yf me steep,
        Other in ewes mylk as longe as hem wete.
        ***

71      Hem sum in cedur scobe, and sum in stre
        Mynute, and sum in smal chaf wol witholde.
        ***

Translated:
69 - The bitter pulp is made sweet by steeping in mead or ewe's milk.
71 - Some keep them in cedar-shavings, or straw, or chaff.

To keep medlars:
75      ***
        Eke thai in pitched pottes kept are sure.

76      Suspence in rule hem keep with pusk condite
        Ypuldde in myddes of a day serene.
        Or in smal chaf asonder hem alite.
        Semymature also me may hem glene,
        And daies V in salt water hem lene.
        In-founde hem then until thai swymme, and depe
        In hony this fryte ripe ynough thou kepe.

To keep figs:

91      ***
        And premature yf that the list elonge,
        Thaire grosses, whenne as greet as benes be,
        So take hem of.  Eke yf the thinke hem longe
        Unripe, in oil and juice of stalons longe
        With pepir myxt ennoynt her pomes, whenne
        Thaire grosses rody wexing me may kenne.

94      Eke figges grene in hony may me keep
        So thai ne touche, Outher in gourdes grene
        Make everie fige a dover into creep,
        And that was cut of close it after clene,
        And honge hem ther no fir ne smoke is sene.
        A fressh potte on hem sevred pitcheth ynne,
        And dothe this potte swymme in a tonne of wyne.

95      And Marcial saith men in dyvers wyse
        Her figges keep, and oon for everichoone,
        As campaine hem kepeth, shall suffice.
        On fleykes brede and drie hem is to doone
        And yet al softe in baskettes repone.  
        And in an oven hoote upon III stonys
        For brynnyng it this figgy basket doon is.

        Whenne thai beth bake, alle hoote into a stene
        Lette hem be pressed pitched and ywrie,
        Thaire leves doon the potte and hem between.
        For rayne in sonne yf thou ne maist hem drie
        Hoote askes may this fleykes under strie
        In house in stede of sonne, and dried so
        In chistes smale or coffyns hem doo.

Translated
91 - To make them continue long ripe, cut off the grapes (ie, 
baby figs) when as large as beans.  To ripen them, anoint the fruit 
with oil, onions and pepper when they wax red.
94 - Keep green figs in honey, or in a green gourd.  Hang them where 
no fire or smoke is.  Put them in a fresh pot and make it swim in 
wine.
95 - One method of keeping is sufficient, as in Campania:  spread 
them on broad, dry crates, and lay them whilst soft in baskets in an 
oven, upon three stones to prevent burning.
96 - When baked, place them hot in a jar pitched and covered, their 
leaves being laid between them and the rain.  In rain dry them in the 
house on hot ashes.

Book the fifth:  Aprilis

To make oil of Violets
De oleo voilacio & vino

20      Oilviolet to make attende:  of oil
        As many pounde, asmany unces take
        Of violette, not but oonly the foil.  
        And XL daies standyng theroute it make.
        To X sester olde wyne V pounde in slake
        Of violet undewy, and X pounde
        Hony the XXXthe day is forto enfounde.

Translated:
No translation given, other than the oil is to be made of leaves only.

May:  Book the sixth
Cheese making
De Casio faciendo

21      Alle fresshe the mylk is crodded now to chese
        With crudde of kidde, or lambe, other of calf,
        Or floure of tasil wilde.  Oon of hem chese,
        Or that pellet that closeth, every half, 
        The chicke or pyjon crawe, hool either half.
        With figtree mylk, fresshe mylk also wol turne.
        Thenne wrynge it, presse it under poundes scorne.

22      And sumdel sadde up doo it in a colde
        Place, outher derk, and after under presse
        Constreyne it efte, and salt about it folde,
        So sadder yet saddest it compresse. 
        Whenne it is wel confourmed to sadnesse
        On fleykes legge hem ichoone so from other,
        That nere a suster touche nere a brother.

23      But ther the place is cloos is hem to enclude, 
        And holde oute wynde although he rowne or crie,
        So wol thaire fattenesse and teneritude
        With hem be stille;  and yf a chees is drie,
        Hit is a vyce, and so is many an eye 
        Yf it see with, that cometh yf sonnyng brendde,
        Or moche of salt, or lite of presse, it shende.

24      An other in fresshe mylk to make of chese
        Pynuttes grene ystamped wol he doo;
        An other wol have tyme a man to brese
        And clensed often juice of it doo to
        To tourne it with;  to savor so or soo;
        It may be made with puttyng to pigment,
        Or piper, or sum other condyment.

Translation:
21 - Make cheese with curd [rennet?? CJvT] of kid, lamd or calf, or 
with wild teazle, or the skin which adheres to chicken's crop 
[epiglottis??]
22 - [press the cheeses.] When firm lay them on crates, but apart.
23 - Shut them up in a close place out of the wind.  A cheese should 
not be dry, nor full of holes caused by too much sun, or salt, or too 
little pressure.
24 - Others press pine nuts, or add the juice of bruised thyme [this 
sounds like it's used as a coagulant to me.  CJvT].  Flavour with a 
condiment of pepper or pigment [piment?] or other.

Will send more soon.
Cairistiona

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