_The old herb garden is a wilderness, and even the names of its occupants have almost passed away. Perchance this little book may help us to picture it at its prime, with all its old-world atmosphere, and haunting memories of much that is still precious. It may also bring back the sweet mingled scent of the herb garden, the “murmuring of innumerable bees,” the shimmering of the sun on sheltered pleasaunce and well-trimmed hedge of yew, creating an image delightful to recall._ _Although many herbals and culinary manuscripts and books date back to a much earlier period, as may be seen in the bibliography, yet they are now scarce and difficult to obtain. This particular example is interesting because of the magic of its herb-lore and the added charm of the making of conserves and perfumes and the preserving of viands. Moreover, it has that personal touch wanting in so many books of a similar nature. One may note the words at the end of some of the simples, “Probatum,” or “Probatum est.” What a world of meaning and satisfaction they imply!_ _I am indebted to Miss I. L. Gould and Miss B. M. Gould for the long labour and perseverance they have bestowed in decyphering the faded script, and to Mr. J. Manning Watts for his researches into the virtues and properties formerly attributed to these herbs, and for his investigation into the proper spelling of their names, which appear in the manuscript according to the light of nature._ _It will be observed that the items in the Index are not always in strict alphabetical order. This will not, however, seriously interfere with reference to any recipe, and it has therefore been thought better to retain them as originally compiled._ _H. W. LEWER._ _11th August, 1908._ A BOOK OF SIMPLES 1. _The Wood-street Cake._ Take a quarter of a peck of y^e finest flower, mingle into it a little salt & some beaten Cloves Mace & Nutmegs, a pound and halfe of Currance wash’d and dry’d, & a pound of Raisins of y^e Sun ston’d and shred, then straine in about a pinte of Ale yeast, and put in y^e yolkes of 10 eggs beaten with Rose water, put in a pint of Cream with 3 quarters of a pound of Butter melted in it. mingle all these well together, and knead it, cover it with a clothe and let it stand about an hour before y^e fire to rise, then mould it up and beat it out thinn in y^e edges and thick in y^e middle, then prick it or cut it w^{th} a knife, and set it in y^e oven, when it is almost bak’d take it out and ice it on y^e top w^{th} Rose water & sugar and sett it in y^e oven againe ’till ’tis enough, putt some musk or Ambergreese dissolv’d in y^e Rose water. 2. _Pectorals for a Colde or Consumption._