_"--This term has perplexed me much in preparing notes on the
portion of the _Promptorium_ I have now in hand. In the Harl. MS. 221.
is found "Sabrace, _sabracia_, Comm." The authority cited, the
_Commentarius Curialium_, is still unknown to me; and I have failed in
searching for the word _sabracia_, which is not found in Ducange, or
other glossaries of debased Latinity. Mr. Halliwell gives "_Sabras_,
salve, plaster;" but he cites no authority. It appears, however, rather
to signify a tonic or astringent solution than a salve. I have hitherto
found it only in the following passage (_Sloane MS_. 73., f. 211., late
xv. sec.) in a recipe for making "cheuerel lether of perchemyne." The
directions are, that it be "basked to and fro" in a hot solution of
"alome roche;--aftir take xelkis of eyren and breke hem smale in a
disch, as thou woldist make therof a caudel, and put these to thyn alome
water, and chaufe it; thanne take it doun fro the fier, and put it in
the cornetrey; thanne tak thi lether and basche it wel in this _sabras_,
to it be wel drunken up into the lether." A little flour is then to be
added, the mixture heated, and the "perchemyn well basked therein, and
th't that saberas be wel drunken up into the lether;" and if it enters
not well into the leather, "lay it abroad in a good long vessel that be
scheld, the fleschside upward, and poure thi _sabrace_ al abouen the
lether, and rubbe it wel yn.
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