men, bent on making the best and the most of the
pleasures of the table no doubt, but quite as much
on the maintenance of health as of hospitality. Sim-
pler, herbalist, doctor, distiller, cook — Digby was
all of them, and all of them with the utmost serious-
ness ; nor in this was he in the least singular. The
great Bacon was deeply concerned with such cares,
though in certain of his recommendations, such as :
"To provide always an apt breakfast," to take this
every morning, not to forget to take that twice a
month, one may read more of the valetudinarian
than in Digby. TAe Closet Opened is but one of an
interesting series of books of the kind, which have
been too much neglected by students of seventeenth-
century manners and lore and language. Did not
W. J. issue the Countess of Kent's Choice Manual
of Physic and Chirurgey^ with directions for Preserv-
ing and Candying } Patrick, Lord Ruthven's Ladies
Cabinet Opened 2iTpTpQ2iTQd in 1639 and 1655. Nor
was it only the cuisine of the nobles that roused in-
terest. One of the curiosities of the time is 7'/^^ Court
and Kitchen of Elizabeth^ commonly called Joan Crom-
well^ the Wife of the Late Usurper Truly Described and
Represented and now made Publickfor general Satisfac-
tion, 1 644. The preface is scurrilous beyond belief.
Compiled from the gossip of servants, it is meant
to cast ridicule on the housekeeping of the Protec-
tor's establishment. But the second part is a sober
collection of by no means very penurious recipes
from Joan's own kitchen books.
Hartman, his steward, made an excellent thingout
of Digby's receipts — though the publishing of The
xliv INTRODUCTIO.J^i
Closei Opened Wcis not his doing, I think. His Choice
and Experimented Receipts in Physick and Chirurgery
had already appeared in 1668, which suggested to
some other hanger-on of the Digby household that
John Digby's consent might be obtained for print-
ing Sir Kenelm's culinary as well as his medical
note-books. Hartman followed up this new track
with persistence and profit to himself. As a mild
example of the "choice and experimented," I tran-
scribe " An Approved Remedy for Biting of a Mad
Dog " : " Take a quart of Ale, and a dram of Treacle,
a handful of Rue, a spoonful of shavings or filings
of Tin. Boil all these together, till half be consumed.
Take of this two spoonfuls in the morning, and at
night cold. It is excellent for Man or Beast." I need
not continue. The receipts are there for curious
searchers. They were applied to aristocratic patients ;
and they are no more absurd orloathsome than those
of other books of the time and kind. Even Bacon
is fantastic enough with his "Grains of Youth" and
"Methusalem Water." In 1682, George Hartman
published, "for the Publike Good," The True Pre-
server and Restorer of Health. It is dedicated to the
Countess of Sunderland, and is described as " the
collection for the most part (which I had hitherto
reserved) of your incomparable kinsman and my
truly Honourable Master, SirKenelm Digby,whom
I had the Honour to serve for many years beyond
the Seas, as well as in England ; and so continued
with him till his dying Day, and of whose Gene-
rosity and Bounty I have sufficiently tasted, and no
less of your illustrious Fathers, both before and
IhTRODUCTIODj^ xlv
Page 17
Presented as published in 1910. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
men, bent on making the best and the most of the pleasures of the table no doubt, but quite as much on the maintenance of health as of hospitality. Scholar, herbalist, doctor, distiller, cook — Digby was all of them, and all of them with the utmost seriousness ; nor in this was he in the least singular. The great Bacon was deeply concerned with such cares, though in certain of his recommendations, such as : "To provide always an apt breakfast," to take this every morning, not to forget to take that twice a month, one may read more of the valetudinarian than in Digby. The Closet Opened is but one of an interesting series of books of the kind, which have been too much neglected by students of seventeenth-century manners and lore and language. Did not W. J. issue the Countess of Kent's Choice Manual of Physic and Chirurgey^ with directions for Preserving and Candying } Patrick, Lord Ruthven's Ladies Cabinet Opened printed in 1639 and 1655. Nor was it only the cuisine of the nobles that roused interest. One of the curiosities of the time is The Court and Kitchen of Elizabeth^ commonly called Joan Cromwell^ the Wife of the Late Usurper Truly Described and Represented and now made Publickfor general Satisfaction, 1 644. The preface is scurrilous beyond belief. Compiled from the gossip of servants, it is meant to cast ridicule on the housekeeping of the Protector's establishment. But the second part is a sober collection of by no means very penurious recipes from Joan's own kitchen books.
Hartman, his steward, made an excellent thingout of Digby's receipts — though the publishing of The
xliv INTRODUCTION
Closet Opened Was not his doing, I think. His Choice and Experimented Receipts in Physick and Chirurgery had already appeared in 1668, which suggested to some other hanger-on of the Digby household that John Digby's consent might be obtained for printing Sir Kenelm's culinary as well as his medical note-books. Hartman followed up this new track with persistence and profit to himself. As a mild example of the "choice and experimented," I transcribe " An Approved Remedy for Biting of a Mad Dog " : " Take a quart of Ale, and a dram of Treacle, a handful of Rue, a spoonful of shavings or filings of Tin. Boil all these together, till half be consumed. Take of this two spoonfuls in the morning, and at night cold. It is excellent for Man or Beast." I need not continue. The receipts are there for curious searchers. They were applied to aristocratic patients ; and they are no more absurd or loathsome than those of other books of the time and kind. Even Bacon is fantastic enough with his "Grains of Youth" and "Methusalem Water." In 1682, George Hartman published, "for the Publike Good," The True Preserver and Restorer of Health. It is dedicated to the Countess of Sunderland, and is described as " the collection for the most part (which I had hitherto reserved) of your incomparable kinsman and my truly Honourable Master, SirKenelm Digby,whom I had the Honour to serve for many years beyond the Seas, as well as in England ; and so continued with him till his dying Day, and of whose Generosity and Bounty I have sufficiently tasted, and no less of your illustrious Fathers, both before and
INTRODUCTION xlv