PLAT (Sir Hugh). 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 Chimical conclusions concerning the Art of Distillation, and the rare practises and uses thereof. Faithfully an familiarly set down, according to the authours own experience. By Sir Hugh Plat of Lincolns-Inne, Knight. Whereunto is added, a rare and excellent discourse of minerals, stones, gums, and rosins; with the vertues and use thereof. By D.B. Gent.1653

London: Printed by Bernard Alsop, Second edition, small 4to (187 x 130 mm), [8], 232pp., title with woodcut ornamental border and illustration of record ear of barley on verso, woodcut illustrations, title with ink initials at head & small ink stain and browned at edges, one or two old manuscript notes, a few other small stains, mostly to last few leaves, new endpapers, modern calf, covers with double fillet border in blind, spine tooled in gilt and faded, red morocco label. 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 drunkeness, helping smoking chmineys, killing rats, keeping oysters good ten or twelve days, distilling, how to cheat at cards, etc. First published in 1594 this edition also includes a discourse on minerals by Arnold Boate. Wing, P2390.