Sir Kenelm Digby was an English courtier and diplomat. He was also a highly reputed natural philosopher, and known as a leading Roman Catholic intellectual and Blackloist.Digby published in 1638, A Conference with a Lady about choice of a Religion; in 1644 he published together two major philosophical treatises, The Nature of Bodies and On the Immortality of Reasonable Souls; in 1661, Discourse Concerning the Vegetation of Plants. Digby is known for the publication of a cookbook, The Closet of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digbie Knight Opened, but it was actually published by a close servant, from his notes, in 1669, several years after his death. It is currently considered an excellent source of period recipes, particularly for beverages such as mead.