About this Item
London: Printed for N. Brook, 1671, Later Edition [First Edition 1655]. Full leather binding, gilt titles, gilt bands, all page edges gilt, marbled paste downs and end papers, Francis Bowes Lyon book plate, b/w frontispiece incomplete and laid on to a new leaf. Frances Dora Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne was a British noblewoman. She was the paternal grandmother of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and thus a great-grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II. From the British Library: The Queen's Closet Opened was written by 'W.M.' of whom very little is known. The book is divided into three sections: 'The Pearl of Practice' which covers medical remedies; 'A Queen's Delight' which examines confectionery; and 'The Compleat Cook' which looks at general culinary recipes. The book was first published in 1655 during the reign of Oliver Cromwell. Eight new cookery books appeared in this period, and The Queen's Closet was a huge success, with 10 new editions published before the end of the century. Despite the relative stability of the commonwealth, there was an increasing fascination for the customs of the old aristocracy. Books such as these appeared to be opening magical doors on to the glittering secrets of the wealthy. On the title page to The Queen's Closet, W.M explains that the book's recipes originate in the kitchen of Henrietta Maria, the wife of King Charles I. They are, he writes, 'incomparable Secrets in Physick, Chirurgery, Preserving and Candying, &c. Which were presented unto the Queen By the most Experienced Persons of the Times, many whereof were had in esteem when She pleased to descend to private Recreations.' It must be remembered that preserves and remedies contained expensive ingredients and could only have been afforded by the wealthy. So books such as this claimed to be able to release the secrets hidden in the cabinets of the aristocracy. Following the fall of the monarchy, many distinguished chefs will have lost their jobs. Historians have suggested that this may be the reason for the sudden wave of new cookery books at this time, as these professionals would have been searching for new ways to make money. These circumstances would also have enabled them to give away their trade secrets. In these pages, the author reveals 'The Kings Medicine for the Plague', and 'A Medicine for the Plague that the Lord mayor had from the Queen.' He also gives a recipe for a 'very good Glister [clyster] for the winde' an enema for flatulence! The Queens Closet [12], 191pp plus 9pp The Table. A Queens Delight [2], 106pp plus 4pp The Table. The Compleat Cook [2], 3-123pp plus 7pp The Table. Approximately 5 ¾ inches tall. Condition Report Externally Spine good condition gilt titles, 5 gilt bands. Joints good condition rubbed and worn. Corners good condition bumped and worn. Boards good condition full leather boards with gilt borders and blind stamped border inside the gilt, the rear board has a historic damp stain half way across, general signs of wear. Page edges good condition all page edges gilt. See above and photos. Internally Hinges good condition intact. Paste downs good condition marbled with gilt lined dentelles, the front paste down has a Francis Bowes Lyon book plate pasted on it, tanned and foxed around the edges. End papers good condition marbled, tanned and foxed around the edges, subsequent end papers tanned and foxed. Title good condition all three title pages dated 1671, all tanned and foxed. Pages good condition b/w frontispiece, however, part is missing, tanned and foxed throughout. Binding good condition. See photos Publisher: see above. Publication Date: 1671 Binding: Hardback.
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