Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 45.djvu/416

 proved of genuine value. He resided in 1594 and later years at Bishop's Hall, Bethnal Green, subsequently removing to the neighbouring Kirby Castle. Both at Bethnal Green and in St. Martin's Lane he maintained gardens, where he conducted horticultural and agricultural experiments, and, in pursuit of his researches, he often visited Sir Thomas Heneage's estate at Copt Hall, Essex, and other great landowners' properties.

In 1592 Plat exhibited to some privy councillors and the chief citizens of London a series of mechanical inventions, and next year printed, as a broad-sheet, some account of them in ‘A brief Apologie of certen new Inventions completed by H. Plat’ (licensed to Richard Field in 1592). A unique copy belongs to the Society of Antiquaries. But he gave no adequate description of his varied endeavours till 1594, when there appeared ‘The Jewell House of Art and Nature, conteining divers rare and profitable Inventions, together with sundry new Experiments in the Art of Husbandry, Distillation and Moulding. By Hugh Platte of Lincolnes Inn, Gent.,’ London, 4to, 1594; dedicated to Robert, earl of Essex. The volume consists of five tracts with separate title-pages, viz.: (1) ‘Divers new Experiments;’ (2) ‘Diverse new Sorts of Soyle not yet brought into any Publique Use;’ (3) ‘Chimical Conclusions concerning the Art of Distillation;’ (4) ‘Of Moulding, Casting Metals;’ (5) ‘An offer of certain New Inventions which the Author proposes to Disclose upon reasonable Considerations.’ The second of these tracts, which was also issued separately, contains important notes by Plat on manures, and the last tract deals with miscellaneous topics, like the brewing of beers without hops, the preservation of food in hot weather and at sea, mnemonics, and fishing. Another edition of the whole appeared in 1613, and a revised edition, dedicated to Bulstrode Whitelocke, was prepared in 1653 by ‘D. B.’ (i.e. Arnold de Boate [q. v.]), who added ‘A Discourse on Minerals, Stones, Gums, and Rosins.’ In 1595 Plat gave further hints of the results of his practical study of science in ‘A Discoverie of certain English Wantes which are royally supplied in this Treatise. By H. Plat, of Lincolnes Inne, Esquire,’ London, 4to, 1595 (Brit. Mus.; reprinted in ‘Harleian Miscellany,’ vol. ix.). In the same year he issued ‘Sundrie New and Artificiall Remedies against Famine. Written by H. P., Esq., upon thoccasion of this present Dearth,’ London, 4to; new edit. 1596; and his ‘Newfounde Art of Setting of Corne’ appeared about the same time without date. Other editions followed in 1600 and 1601.

Not the least popular of Plat's books was his curious collection of recipes for preserving fruits, distilling, cooking, housewifery, cosmetics, and the dyeing of hair. Much of the information Plat had already divulged in his ‘Jewell-house.’ The title of the completer venture ran: ‘Delights for Ladies to adorne their Persons, Tables, Closets, and Distillatories; with Bewties, Banquets, Perfumes, and Waters,’ London (by Peter Short), 12mo, 1602; other editions, 1609, 1611, 1617, 1632, 1636, 1640, and 1656. Prefixed are some verses by Plat addressed ‘to all true louers of art and knowledge,’ in which he describes the various topics on which he had written. The first part of the volume reappeared posthumously as ‘A Closet for Ladies and Gentlemen, on the art of Preseruing, Conserving, and Candying. With the manner how to make diverse kinds of Syrupes: and all kinde of Banquetting Stuffes,’ London, 12mo, 1611. In 1603 Plat gave an account of an invention of cheap fuel—i.e. coal mixed with clay and other substances, and kneaded into balls—in a tract called ‘Of Coal-Balls for Fewell wherein Seacoal is, by the mixture of other combustible Bodies, both sweetened and multiplied,’ London, 4to, 1603. Richard Gosling reissued in 1628 an account of Plat's device, and developed it further in his ‘Artificial Fire,’ 1644.

In consideration of his services as inventor, Plat was knighted by James I at Greenwich on 22 May 1605. His chief work on gardening appeared in 1608, as ‘Floraes Paradise beautified and adorned with sundry sortes of delicate Fruits and Flowers … with an offer of an English Antidote … a Remedy in violent Feavers and intermittent Agues.’ The preface is dated from ‘Bednal Green, 2 July 1608.’ An appendix of ‘new, rare, and profitable inventions’ describes among other things, Plat's fireballs and his experiments in making wine from grapes grown at Bethnal Green. This wine, Plat says, had excited the commendation of the French ambassador ‘two years since,’ and of Sir Francis Vere, and Plat promised to expound his view on English wine-culture in a volume to be called ‘Secreta Dei Pampinei.’ Plat is careful in his description of gardening experiments, all of which were, he says, ‘wrung out of the earth by the painful hand of experience,’ to state the name of his informant in all cases where he had not done the work himself. He quotes repeatedly Mr. Andrew Hill, Mr. Pointer of Twickenham, ‘Colborne,’ and Parson Simson. ‘Floraes Paradise’ was reissued with some omissions and rearrangements by Charles Bellingham, who claimed