The Jewel House of Art and Nature: containing Divers Rare and Profitable Inventions.

Printed by Elizabeth Alsop, 1653. later edition. Hardback. Fine/No Jacket. 2nd Edition 1653. Full title 'The Jewel House of Art and Nature: containing Divers Rare and Profitable Inventions, together with sundry new experiments in the Art of Husbandry. With divers Chymical Conclusions concerning the Art of Distillation, and the Rare Practices and Uses Thereof...Whereunto is added, a rare and excellent Discourse of minerals, stones, gums, and rosins : with the vertues and use thereof. London, printed by Elizabeth Alsop, and are to be sold at her house in Grubstreet, near the Upper Pump, 1653. Title in woodcut typographic border and with woodcut of an ear of summer barley to verso, woodcut illustrations, head-pieces and decorative initials, [8], 232pp, title page, first text leaf and final 3 text leaves toned with some marginal fraying not affecting text or printed areas, final text leaf more frayed than others mentioned and repaired and laid down to tissue paper; title page with neat reinforcement to inner margin, couple of small old inkstains to p.24, toning towards outer edgeof margins of leaves throughout, small 4to,Bound in attractive modern quarter navy blue morocco gilt over marbled paper covered boards. First published in 1594 this compendium of useful household information including instructions on storing fruit and flowers, 'how to carry gold in a most secret manner', brewing, 'how to speak by signs onely', stealing bees, preventing drunkenness, 'keeping oysters good ten or twelve days', distilling, alchemy, a portable pump, oilskin clothing, sign language, bridge building, fishing, reviving colours of old pictures and much more. Scarce Note there are two issues, this bearing the imprint of Elizabeth Alsop as opposed to that of her husband, Bernard Alsop, who may have died that year.