C3R6SE, ceruse, white lead

Ingredients

C3R6SE, ceruse, white lead, potages, iuce of fynell, fyngkill, vyneger

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

A fifteenth-century instructional recipe for creating a simulated leprous appearance: 'For to make won to seme A M3SELL Take C3R6SE and doo hit in his potages whiles hit is hoote and eete hit and he schall seme m3sel'. The recipe includes a reversal procedure: 'and if thou wilte delyver hit awaye take the iuce of fynell or fyngkill and leete hym dryngke hit 3 dayes and also anoynte his face therewithe and vyneger togeres'. (p. 226)

Evidence

"Amongst these cures is a recipe for making a person seem like a leper: For to make won to seme A M3SELL Take C3R6SE and doo hit in his potages whiles hit is hoote and eete hit and he schall seme m3sel"

Remarks

The paper explores how medical recipes for rapid cures or physical transformations were used as literary tropes in medieval romances. The specific recipe using white lead (ceruse) highlights the intentional use of obscure terminology and codes ('C3R6SE') to evoke mystery. This textual analysis connects practical medical writing (the recipe collection in MS HM 64) with the imaginative world of romances like 'Bevis of Hampton', where physical disguise through botanical or mineral means serves key narrative functions. (p. 225-226)