Add MS 78340

EVELYN PAPERS. Vol. CLXXIII. Collection in two parts, the first of medical and culinary recipes, the second of skills and crafts; 1659-[early 18^th cent?]. Autograph. Begun in or after 1659 (see Hunter, op. cit., p. 82, n. 62, who points out that on the first page there is an entry derived from a communication Evelyn received in 1659 via Samuel Hartlib; see Add. MS 15948, f. 67) and added to, on the evidence of the handwriting, until late in Evelyn's life. The first part of this volume has connections with his other collection of medical and culinary recipes in Add. MS 78337, and the second with his history of trades in Add. MS 78339 above. Hunter, op. cit., p. 82, n.62, suggests that this volume was kept for Evelyn's private use because of concerns about the communication of trade secrets. However `Books of Medicin Receipts and other Books of Mechanics' figure in the list of manuscripts which `I did purpos to have finish'd and perhaps publish'd', in Memoirs for my Grand-son, pp. 66-68. Beal EvJ 154. Formerly Evelyn MS 52A.

Paginated `1-446’ by Evelyn. Original binding of mottled calf, matching the first and second volumes of the series above. 430 x 300mm.

1. `Liber primus: Medicina, Pharmaca, Chirurgia, Chymia, Cosmetica, Suffimenta, Bellaria, Coquinaria &c'; [1650s-1690s?]. Autograph, with a few pen and ink sketches. Partly Latin. With a preliminary `Explication of Weights and Measures' (followed by a pentacle symbol, f. 1v) and a list of chemical symbols (f. 2). Consisting of recipes, numbered 1-442. Including (p. 191) a separate section headed `Agri-culture Housewifry &c', left blank (apparently because Evelyn began to keep this information separately in Add. MS 78341 below), and (p. 251) `Jumenta. Remedies against Diseases in Cattell & other Observations', with the note, `There are other Remedys scatterd among the other Receipts in this Book misplac'd, which see the Table'.

2. `Liber Secundus. Artes Illiberales, et Mechanicae'. Consisting of descriptions of techniques and instruments, several illustrated with small pen and ink drawings, numbered 1-339. Including the making of marbled paper of which a rough version is in Add. MS 78339.

3. Separate alphabetical indices to the each `book'.