“So smell those odours that do rise From out the wealthy spiceries; So smells the flower of blooming clove, Or roses smother'd in the stove; So smells the air of spiced wine, Or essences of jessamine; So smells the breath about the hives When well the work of honey thrives, And all the busy factors come Laden with wax and honey home; So smell those neat and woven bowers All over-arch'd with orange flowers, And almond blossoms that do mix To make rich these aromatics; So smell those bracelets and those bands Of amber chaf'd between the hands, When thus enkindled they transpire A noble perfume from the fire; The wine of cherries, and to these The cooling breath of respasses; The smell of morning's milk and cream, Butter of cowslips mix'd with them; Of roasted warden or bak'd pear, These are not to be reckon'd here, Whenas the meanest part of her, Smells like the maiden pomander. Thus sweet she smells, or what can be More lik'd by her or lov'd by me.”
A cook of roughly the same moment, setting down the same dish.
Arrange lady fingers or slices of sponge cake in a dish, pour over cream made as follows: Mix one-third cup sugar, grated rind and juice one-half lemon, one-fourth cup Sherry wine, and yolks of two eggs; place over fire and stir vigorously with wire whisk until it thickens and is frothy, then pour over beaten whites of two eggs and continue beating.
Sources: The passage is from Robert Herrick, The Hesperides & Noble Numbers: Vol. 1 and 2, free to read in full at Project Gutenberg. The recipe is from Farmer, The Boston cooking-school cook book of 1896, also free in full. Both are in the public domain in the United States. The binding above is ours — burgundy cloth, beehive stamp.