arnement

Ingredients

hardys, lyes of ale, whete, mannys pysse, fetheres of the gos, lard of the bor, sauge, wortlef, goud stal ale, salt, pych, arnement, wex

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

A medecyn for the comyne festre / tak hardys / and hak theym and wet hem wel in lyes of ale / that ys ymad of whete and soth hem wel and bynd hyt so vppon the sore a hol nyʒt / and a hol day /and thanne tak hyt away and wasch the sor wyth mannys pysse / and lok thou haue poudre alredy ymad in thys manere Tak the grete fetheres of the gos and do away the rowe and thanne bren hem and mak a poudre therof and do hyt in a molour and lay that poudre on the sore and vppon that lay lard of the bor or of a barw and sauge / and vppon al that a wortlef and after tak goud stal ale that ys mad of whete clene wythoute barly or any other corn and fyl therof a pot that be hol and newe and put therto salt / and pych and arnement of eche elyche moche / and of wex more thane of any othyr and seth al thys ryӡt wel tylle at hyt be thykke (p. 204-205)

Evidence

"arnement = iron or copper sulphate"

Remarks

The term 'arnement' is the Middle English form of atramentum, usually referring to vitriol or the black ink made from it. The recipe describes a laborious, multi-stage preparation involving charred goose feathers (carbon black) and a thickened mixture of vitriol, wax, and pitch (p. 205).