The caraway is once mentioned, No. 53. and was an exotic from _Caria_,
whence, according to Mr. Lye, it took its name: 'sunt semina, inquit,
_carri_ vel _carrei_, sic dicti a Caria, ubi copiosissime nascitur
[111].'

Powder-douce, which occurs so often, has been thought by some, who
have just peeped into our Roll, to be the same as sugar, and only a
different name for it; but they are plainly mistaken, as is evident
from 47. 51. 164. 165. where they are mentioned together as different
things. In short, I take powder-douce to be either powder of
galyngal, for see Editor's MS II. 20. 24, or a compound made of
sundry aromatic spices ground or beaten small, and kept always ready
at hand in some proper receptacle. It is otherwise termed _good
powders_, 83. 130. and in Editor's MS 17. 37. 38 [112]. or _powder_
simply, No. 169, 170. _White powder-douce_ occurs No. 51, which seems
to be the same as blanch-powder, 132. 193. called _blaynshe powder_,
and bought ready prepared, in Northumb. Book, p. 19. It is sometimes
used with powder-fort, 38. 156. for which see the next and last
article.

Powder-fort, 10. 11. seems to be a mixture likewise of the warmer
spices, pepper, ginger, &c. pulverized: hence we have _powder-fort of
gynger, other of canel_, 14. It is called _strong powder_, 22. and
perhaps may sometimes be intended by _good powders_. If you will
suppose it to be kept ready prepared by the vender, it may be the
_powder-marchant_, 113. 118. found joined in two places with powder-
douce. This Speght says is what gingerbread is made of; but Skinner
disapproves this explanation, yet, says Mr. Urry, gives none of his
own.