Confectionery.- Abbot (Robert) The Housekeeper's valuable present: or, lady's closet companion. Being a new and complete art of preparing confects, according to modern practice, first edition, woodcut floral tail-pieces, mostly marginal browning to a few ff. (including title), some spotting or light staining, contemporary calf, sympathetically rebacked in modern calf, gilt, corners restored, covers rubbed and marked, [Cagle 528; Maclean p.1; Oxford p.126; Simon BG 1], 8vo, Printed for the author; and sold by C. Cooke, no. 17, Pater-Noster Row; and all other booksellers in town and country, [c.1790].

⁂ Rare at auction. We can trace only two copies since 1969. Institutional holdings are also scarce. The title tells us that Abbot had been an apprentice at the leading confectioners Negri & Gunter of Berkeley Square.

Provenance: 'Sarah Olive, Book 1794' (ink inscription to front free endpaper).