Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Mascall, Leonard
MASCALL, LEONARD (d. 1589), author and translator, was a member of an old family settled at Piumstead, Sussex, and became clerk of the kitchen in the household of Matthew Parker, archbishop of Canterbury. It has been erroneously stated that he was the first person who brought carp and pippins into England. He died at Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire, and was buried there on 10 May 1589.
The works written by, or generally attributed to, him are: 1. 'A Booke of the Arte and maner howe to plant and gratte all sortes of trees, howe to set stones, and sowe Pepines to make wylde trees to graffe on. . . . With divers other new practise, by one of the Abbey of Saint Vincent in Fraunce. . . . With an addition ... of certaine Dutch practises, set forth and Englished by L. Mascall,' black letter, London [1572], 4to. Dedicated to Lord St. John of Bletsho. Other editions appeared in 1575, 1580 (?), 1582, 1590, 1592, 1596, and 1652. 2. 'The Husbandlye ordring and Gouernmente of Poultrie. Practised by the Learnedste, and such as haue bene knowne skilfullest in that Arte, and in our tyme,' Lond. 1581, 8vo; dedicated to Katherine, wife of James Woodford, esq., and chief clerk of the kitchen to Queen Elizabeth. 3. 'A profitable boke declaring dyvers approoved remedies, to takeout spottes and staines, in Silkes, Velvets, Linnnen [sic] and Woollen clothes. With divers colours how to die Velvets and Silkes. . . . Taken out of Dutche, and englished by L. M.,' London, 1583 and 1605, 4to. 4. 'Prepositus his Practise, a Worke . . . for the better preservation of the Health of Man. Wherein are approved Medicines, Receiptes and Ointmentes. Translated out of Latin into English by L[eonard?] M[ascall?],' London, 1588, fol. 5. 'A Booke of Fishing with Hooke & Line [taken from that of Dame Juliana Berners, and of all other instruments thereunto belonging. Another of sundrie Engines and Trappes to take Polcats, Buzards, Rattes, Mice, and all other Kindes of Vermine. . . . Made by L. M[ascall],' London, 1590, 4to; reprinted London, 1000, 4to, and again, with preface and glossary by Thomas Satchell, London, 1884. 6.'The first Book of Cattel; wherein is shewed the gouernment of Oxen, Kine, Calues, and how to vse Bulles and other cattel to the yoake and fell; with remidies. The second booke treateth of the gouernment of horses, gathered by L.M. The third booke intreateth of the ordering of sheep and goates, hogs and dogs; with such remidies to help most diseases as may chaunce vnto them,' London, 1596, 4to, dedicated to Lord Edward Montagu; reprinted in 1600, 1605, 1620, 1633, 1662, and 1680, the latter edition being entitled 'The Countreyman's Jewel, or the Government of Cattel,' &c.
He also drew up the 'Registrant parochiæ de Farnham Royal comit. Buckingh,,' completed 25 June 1573, in which he inserted Cromwell's injunctions concerning parish registers, and prefixed some English verses on the subject.
[Ames's Typogr. Antiq. (Herbert), pp. 782, 784, 947, 990, 998, 1018, 1182, 1186,1730; Athenaeum, 5 July 1884, p.9; Donaldson's Agricultural Biog. p. 10; Fuller's Worthies (Nichols), n. 399; Notes and Queries, 6th ser. ix. 107, 178; Tanner's Bill. Brit. p. 517; Smith's Catalogue of Writers on Angling, p. 31; Westwood and Satchell's Bibliotheca Piseatoria, p. 149.]