Books of Secrets and the culture of ‘how to’

European World HI320Intellectual & Technological

Change Case Study

“... since this blessed press appeared, the

great part of people, women as well as

men, know how to read; and what is more is

that Philosophy and Medicine, and all the

other branches of knowledge are abridged

and printed in this our mother tongue ...

the majority, even including women speak

about Philosophy, Medicine, Astrology,

Mathematics and of as many sciences as

there are in the world without being Doctors;

and so no one can be deceived any more,

since everyone who wants to work his brain

a little can be learned”

[Lionardo Fioravanti, The Mirror of Universal

Knowledge (1567)]

An early Italian recipe book (A new work entitled Palace of Recipes… Venice, 1528)

A New Pleasant Work Which Teaches How to Make Various Odoriferous Compositions To Make Any Woman Beautiful… (Venice, 1526)

A pamphlet instructing how to cure yourself of syphilis (1526)

3 ‘how to’ pamphlets by the same author (handwriting, love letters, table setting)

An Italian charlatan (C17th)

A German handbook for goldsmiths (1538)

A popular German manual on dietary requirements for sick people (1564)

An English almanac, 1637

English and French translations of Alessio Piemontese’s Book of Secrets

The Secrets of Lady Isabella Cortese. In Which are Contained Things Mineral, Medicinal, Artificial, Alchemical, and Many of the Art of Perfumery, Appropriate for Any Great Lady (Venice, 1561)

The marvelous and occult natural secrets translated from the Persian language into our Italian language. Dispensed by me, Benedetto known as “the Persian” (1613)

An English translation of Fioravanti’s Discourse on Surgery

The public production of medicines

An Italian charlatan (C17th)