A True Recipe

and hollow like a stalk of rye, made in the manner of a reed; nevertheless, from this herb, the juice is extracted, which is nothing other than salt. It is true that all salts do not have the same flavor, nor the same virtue, and do not perform the same action; nevertheless, I can assure you that there is an infinite number of species of salts on the earth. If they do not have the same flavor, and the same appearance, and the same action, that does not prevent them, however, from being salt. I dare tell you again, and maintain it boldly, that there is no plant, nor species of herb on the earth, that does not have in itself some species of salt; and I tell you further, that there is no tree, of whatever kind it may be, that does not consequently have some, some more and others less. And what is more, I dare tell you that if there were no salt in fruits, they would have neither flavor, nor virtue, nor odor, and one could not prevent them from putrefying. And so that you do not say that I speak without reason, I give you in the first place the principal fruit which is for our use, namely the fruit of the vine. It is a certain thing that the lees of wine, being burned, are reduced into a salt that we call sel de tartre salt of tartar; now, this salt is greatly mordant and corrosive. When it is put in a humid place, it is reduced into huile de tartre oil of tartar, and many cure swellings a skin affliction with the said oil because it is corrosive. The salt of the salicor herb, when it is kept in a humid place, is as oily as that of tartar. These are reasons that should make you believe that there is salt in trees and plants. Whoever would ask me how many species of salt there are, I would like to answer that there are as many species as there are diverse flavors. It is therefore to be concluded that the salt of pepper and of grains of paradise is more corrosive than that of cinnamon, and that the more the wines are strong and powerful, the more there is an abundance of salt, which causes the strength and virtue of the said wine. If it were not so, contemplate a little the wines of Montpellier; they have an admirable power and strength, such that the dregs of their grapes burn and calcine sheets of copper and reduce them into verdigris; and if anyone dares to say that this is not done by the virtue of the salt that is in the said dregs, my statement is easy to verify, because it is a certain thing that if one puts common salt,