The Queen-like Closet
OR RICH CABINET Stored with all manner of RARE RECEIPTS FOR Preserving, Candying and Cookery. Very Pleasant and Benicial to all Ingenious Persons of the FEMALE SEX. To which is added, A SUPPLEMENT, PRESENTED To all Ingenious LADIES, and GENTLEMEN. By Hannah Wolley. The Third EDITION. LONDON, Printed for Richard Lowndes at the White Lion in Duck-Lane, near West-Smithfield, 1675. -- TITLE PAGE to the SUPPLEMENT: A SUPPLEMENT TO THE QUEEN-LIKE CLOSET; OR A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING. PRESENTED To all Ingenious Ladies, and Gentlemen. By HANNAH WOOLLEY. LONDON, Printed by T.R. for Richard Lowndes, and to be Sold at the Sign of the White Lion in Duck-Lane, 1674.
12mo. 1pp. - Licensed, Nov 16, 1669. Roger L' Estrange. Frontispiece of five Kitchen Scenes. Title page. [6] 1-344. 22pp. Contents of 1st and 2nd parts. 2pp.-postscript. 2pp.-Advertisements. THE SECOND PART: Pp. Title page. [8] 4pp.-The Table. 2pp.-Advertisement. 1-100. Original dark brown calf boards with gilt border and nice patina. Sympathetically re-laid spine with gilt lines and title in gilt. A very good clean copy with minimal aging. A light stain to the edge of pages 95-122. A rare item.
- Curiously the author's name is spelt with one 'O' in the title page and two 'O's in the supplement. Hannah Woolley was a prolific writer and the list of four books attributed to her are: 'The Ladies Directory' - 1st edition 1661. 'The Cooks Guide' - 1st edition 1664. 'The Queen-like Closet' - 1st edition 1670, with at least two editions of a German translation published as 'Frauenzimmers Zeitvertreib'. 'The Ladies Delight or Rich Closet' - 1672 (essentially the first two of the books in this list, put together). The supplement to this book 'The Queen-like Closet' was Woolley's last published work. An unauthorised compilation of her texts was published in 1673, called 'The Gentlewomans Companion'. Similar unauthorized works based on her texts followed -'The Accomplished Ladies Delight' 1675, and in 1677 - 'The Compleat Servant-Maid'. Like her authentic works, these were reprinted frequently. All copies, whether legitimate or not are quite rare.
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Antiquarian category
ref number:
10926