THE YOUNG WOMAN'S GUIDE.
TO Virtue, Economy, and Happiness; Being an improved and pleasant Directory FOR CULTIVATING THE HEART AND UNDERSTANDING; WITH A COMPLETE AND ELEGANT SYSTEM OF DOMESTIC COOKERY, Formed upon principles of Economy: ALSO, The Art of Carving and Decorating a Table, explained by Engravings. Confectionary in all its Branches. Proper Directions for Marketing, and Bills of Fare for every Day in the Year. (2 perpendicular lines) Best Method of Brewing for large or small Families. Making and managing British Wines. Valuable Medical Directions. A great Variety of useful Family Re-ceipts. TO WHICH ARE ADDED, Instructions to Female Servants in every Situation; APPROVED RULES FOR NURSING AND EDUCATING CHILDREN, AND FOR PROMOTING MATRIMONIAL HAPPINESS; ILLUSTRATED By interesting Tales and Memoirs of celebrated Females; The whole combining all that is essential to the Attainment of EVERY DOMESTIC, ELEGANT, AND INTELLECTUAL ACCOMPLISHMENT. (a small shaped line) BY MR JOHN ARMSTRONG, And Assistants of unquestionable Experience in Medicine, Cookery, Brewing, and all the Branches of Domestic Economy. (a small shaped line) Embellished and illustrated with twelve appropriate Engraving. (a long shaped line) Newcastle upon Tyne, PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY MACKENZIE AND DENT, ST. NICOLAS CHURCH-YARD.
FIRST EDITION. n/d. Circa 1817. 214 x 138 x 43 mm. 2feps with a manuscript recipe for French Polish tipped in. An Engraved Frontis. An elegant extra engraved title page. [1] The Title Page. [1] A Dedication from the Editor. [1] (1)vi-xii Preface. (1)14 - 684. (1)ii - xii Contents. 1fep. The Frontis and 2 title pages have a 1" stain on the bottom of the page. The rest of the text block very slight age dusted. Bound in full dark brown calf with nice patina. the spine with blind tooling and faded gilt, with dark red label with gilt tooling.
- Nothing can be found pertaining to this thick book and it's author. It seems that Mr John Armstrong is also the editor. The dedication page proclaims itself to be a new, safe and pleasant guide to all young Females. In the preface we are further informed; "that it is no part of the writer's plan to make fine Ladies: but every young woman desirous of learning the proper management of a family; of improving her charms and her understanding; and for preserving the love and esteem of her lover, or her husband, will find in this work an invaluable companion, which will neither flatter nor deceive". Written and produced by a man, this is a frightening checklist that modern women would find disagreeable, combined also with the forcefully stated assumptions that are staggering. Just reading all the tasks and skills assembled on the title page, that the poor lady has to master, is thoroughly daunting. One can further assume that this book was probably used as a weapon more often than not, on husbands dumb enough to hand it to their new unsuspecting brides.
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Antiquarian category
ref number:
11306