Dictionaire Oeconomique
2 VOLUMES: Dictionaire Oeconomique: or, The Family Dictionary. CONTAINING The most experienced Methods of improving Estates and of preserving Health, with many approved Remedies for most Distempers of the Body of Man, Cattle and other Creatures, and the best Means for attaining long Life.-- The most advantageous Ways of Breeding, Feeding and Ordering all Sorts of Do-mestick Animals, as Horses, Kine, Sheep, Swine, Poultry, Bees, silkworms, &c.-- The different Kinds of Nets, Snares and Engines for taking all Sorts of Fish, Birds, and other Game. Great Variety of Rules, Directions, and new Discoveries, relating to Gardening, Husbandry, Soils and Manures of all Sorts; the Planting and Culture of Vines, Fruit Trees, Forest Trees, Underwoods, Shrubs, Flowers, and their several Uses; the Knowledge of Foreign Drugs, Dies, Domestick and Exotick Plants and Herbs, with their Specifick Qualities and medicinal Virtues.--- The best and cheapest Ways of Providing and improving all manner of Meats and Drinks; of preparing several Sorts of Wines, Waters and Liquors for every Season, both by Distillation and otherwise: Of preserving all kind of Fruits as well dry as liquid, and making divers Sweetmeats and Works of Sugar, and other profitable Curiosities, both in the Confectionary and Culinary Arts of Housewifery.--- Means of Making the most Advantage of the Manufacturers of Soap, Starch, Spinning, Cotton, Thread, &c.--- The Methods to take or destroy Vermin and other Animals, injurious to Garden-ing, Husbandry, and all rural Oeconomy; with a Description of Graden and other Country Tools and Utensils.--- An account of the several Weights, Mearures, &c. of Metals and mi-nerals, with their Preparations and Uses.--- All Sorts of Rural Sports and Exercises, conducing to the Benefit and innocent Enjoyments of Life; as also Painting in Miniature, and divers other Arts and Terms of Art axplained, for the Entertainment and Amusement of Gentlemen, Ladies, &c.--- The whole illustrated throughout with very Variety of Figures, for the rea-dier understanding and practising of things to which they belong. Done into English form the Second Edition, lately printed at Paris, in two Volumes, Folio, written by M. Chomell: with considerable CONSIDERATIONS and IMPROVEMENTS. Revised and Recommended by Mr, R, Bradley, Professor of Botany in the University of Cambridge, and F.R.S. In Two Volumes. VOL.1. From A-to-H. VOL.11. From H-to-Z. LONDON: Printed for D. Midwinter, at the Three Crowns in St. Paul's Church-Yard. M.DCC.XXV.
FIRST ENGLISH EDITION. 1725. Both Volumes - Folio. 32.2cm x 20cm. Volume 1. 1fep. Title page in red and black text. [1] 2pp Dedication to Theodore Jacobson, Esq; (with nice engraved devices) 4pp Preface. B-I. (no page numbers) 2fep. Original thick dark brown calf boards, re-backed in dark brown calf with raised bands and dark green calf label with gilt writing. Very sturdy. Internally clean and tight. Volume 2. 1fep. Aaaa-Z. (no page numbers) 1pp List of Books printed. 1fep. Original thick dark brown calf boards, re-backed in dark brown calf with raised bands and dark green calf label with gilt writing. Very sturdy. Internally clean and tight. A very nice copy of the rare first English edition.
- A major French-language compendium of eighteenth century information on domestic management that was widely read in Europe and later had important influence on the development of encyclopedic resources in early nineteenth century Japan. The dictionary, compiled by a French priest, ran to several editions in continental Europe but only three editions in English; this London copy and two later Dublin editions. Some nice woodcuts throughout the text expand the topics covered; these include agriculture, beekeeping, bird-traps, garden design, heraldic devices etc. Other sections include Baking, Bread-making, Sweet-making and Dessert with three woodcuts showing how to lay oval and round dessert tables plus a table ready-laid. This edition was not only translated from the work by M. Chomell but also Anglicised by Mr Bradley. A fascinating glimpse of some of the skills-for-living used in the first half of the eighteenth century.
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Antiquarian category
ref number:
11015