Take of fresh ley, strong enough to bear an egg, eight pounds, and
put to it of deer’s, goat’s, or lamb’s suet, (which has previously
been well cleansed from all skins, &c. by rose-water,) two pounds,
and one pound of olive-oil, or rather behn-nut oil. Let all these
simmer over the fire in a well-glazed pot, until it be pretty nearly
of the consistence of crown or Naples soap; then turn it out into a
large flat pan, which set on the leads or roof of the house, exposed
to the heat of the sun for fifty days. The pan must be covered over
with a bell glass, such as the gardeners use, and the mixture must be
stirred once a day, during the whole of this time.
In about six weeks or two months, the operator will have a most
excellent ground-work for Naples soap, which only requires perfuming
in the following manner, to render it even preferable to the foreign
sorts.
Take of oil of rhodium, one ounce, of spirit of ambergris, two ounces
and a half, spirit of musk, half an ounce; mix these well together,
and then put the compound into the pan of soap. Stir the whole well,
and incorporate the perfumes with the soap, on a marble stone by
means of a muller. Put up into small jars, or preserve in a mass in
a large jar, according to sale or convenience. If kept for twelve
months, this soap will be found, by comparison, to be far preferable
to the best soap that ever came from Naples.