The Complete Family-Piece: and, Country Gentleman, and Farmer’s, Best Guide.

[ANONYMOUS],.

$2,500.00

Item Number: 132734

London: Printed and Sold by J. Roberts, 1736.

First edition of this rare 18th century Book of Secrets. Octavo, bound in full calf with gilt ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, morocco spine label lettered in gilt, double gilt ruling to the panels. Title page supplied in facsimile. In very good condition. Rebacked. Armorial bookplate. Scarce.

The Complete Family-Piece is divided into three parts, the first with recipes in medicine and "physick," surgery, plus recipes in cooking, confectionary, pastries, pickling and preserving, distilling, wine making, and brewing. The second part contains advice on hunting, shooting, coursing, training dogs, fishing, including artificial flies, and gardening. The third part is about agriculture, land maintenance, advice on farming and livestock, etc. As is seen in 16th and 17th century Books of Secrets, every imaginable topic of natural science, natural magic, arts, trades, sports and pastimes is included with a substantial compilation of recipes, experiments, and observations extracted from classical, medieval, and contemporary authors. Books of Secrets constituted one of the most popular genres in early modern scientific publishing and supplied a great deal of practical information to an emerging new, middle-class readership, leading some historians to link them with the emerging secularistic values of the early modern period and to see them as contributing to the making of an age of how-to.