The 300-year-old cookery, medical and household recipe books give advice on almost everything, from treating burns to getting rid of freckles, said manuscript specialist Luke Batterham. Quite a strong, English name, yes?
"These books are a very direct insight into what people were interested in the late 17th century," Batterham. "People seem to go a very long way for beauty, now and then."
One recipe advises to one take "2 Puppies before they can see, chopp of their heads & hang them up by the heels to bleed", then mix with white wine to rid the patient of unsightly pimples.
Scalds and burns are apparently best treated with a mixture of sheep's dung and fresh goose grease, while four-day-old lemon juice rubbed on the face is guaranteed to eradicate unwanted freckles.
The two books are expected to fetch a total of 2,000 pounds or more when they go for auction at Bonhams in London on March 15.
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