HOST AND GUEST 
 
 r
 
 ' Come, pilgrim, I will bring you where you shall host." 
 
 Affl Well that Ends Well. 
 
 " Epicurean cooks, sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite." 
 
 Antony and Cleopatra. 
 
 ' ; El que solo se come su gallo, 
 Solo ensilla su caballo." 
 
 Spanish Proverb. 
 
 " He who eats his fowl alone, will have to saddle his horse alone." 
 
 ' Tres mihi convivae prope dissentire videntur, 
 Poscentes vario multum diversa palato. 
 Quid dem ? quid non dem ? " 
 
 HORACE.
 
 HOST AND GUEST. 
 A 
 
 BOOK ABOUT DINNERS, 
 
 DINNER -GIVING, WINES, 
 AND DESSERTS. 
 
 BY A. V. KIRWAN, 
 
 OF THE MIDDLE TEMPLE, ESQ. 
 
 LONDON: 
 BELL AND DALDY, YOEK STEEET, 
 
 COVENT (rARDEN.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 [HERE is no want of cookery books in 
 the principal languages of Europe, and 
 least of all in the English language, in 
 which, even in our own generation, 
 several hundreds have been compiled and published. 
 This volume, however, is not a cookery book, nor 
 what the French call a dispensaire. It is a house- 
 hold book on the subject of Dinners, Desserts, Wines, 
 Liqueurs, and on foods in general ; and is the result 
 of reading, observation, and a great deal of experience 
 in foreign countries. I have been myself, during a 
 life now nearly prolonged to threescore years, a 
 diner out of some magnitude, and, as far as my 
 means allowed, a giver of dinners ; and have often 
 when younger and less experienced, felt the want, 
 and have heard my friends express their sense of 
 the want, of some work of the kind now first pre- 
 sented, so far as I am aware, in an English dress. 
 
 1CS77 

 
 vi Preface. 
 
 Born in a country house a messuage producing, 
 to use a legal phrase, within the curtilage, beef, 
 mutton, fruits, and vegetables I have ventured to 
 speak of the choice and quality of these good things 
 from an early and practical acquaintance with the 
 subject. So much needs to be said on a matter on 
 which all are eloquent, though few agreeable I 
 mean self. It is necessary to state that it is not from 
 reading, but actual practical experience, that I have 
 learned all about the farm, the garden, and the 
 poultry-yard. 
 
 There are several works of a cognate character to 
 this in Latin and French, and some in Italian and 
 Spanish. But these are scarce, costly, old, and ob- 
 solete. Few are acquainted with the treatises of 
 Nonnius, Taillevant, cook to Charles VII., Cham- 
 pier, physician to Francis I., Belon, Patin, Charles 
 Etienne, Lemery, La Varenne, Schookius, Le Grand, 
 De Serres, and L'Etoile, some of them written in 
 indifferent Latin, and others in old French. I have 
 extracted from these works a good deal curious, and 
 something valuable in the choice and preparation of 
 foods. I have endeavoured to show how the tradi- 
 tions of cookery have occasionally survived codes 
 and constitutions, and how these traditions have been, 
 in turn, occasionally set aside and overturned by
 
 Preface. vii 
 
 some new culinary fashion. The work presented to 
 the reader is therefore, in certain parts, historical, 
 anecdotical, gossipping, and somewhat discursive; but 
 the main object of the author has been to induce 
 well informed and sensible people in England to 
 adopt all that is good in the excellent cookery, and 
 agreeable and social life of our neighbours of France, 
 without in any wise abandoning the best of our 
 British customs, or the simplicity of our substantial 
 food. 
 
 It is not for the author to say in how far he has 
 succeeded. That he leaves to the judgment, and 
 they are a great majority, of those who criticise in a 
 fair and candid spirit. All, however, who affect to 
 criticise are not candid ; but it may be said of a 
 critic who deliberately misrepresents a work, that he 
 is unworthy of his vocation, and as heinously criminal 
 as the man who in social or commercial life gives a 
 false character of a servant, or a false warranty of 
 goods or merchandise. 
 
 73, Gloucester Place, Portman Square, W. 
 March 1, 1864.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL COOKERY COMPARED 
 
 WITH THE COOKEKT OF THE LAST HALF CENTCRY. 
 
 ARUM Pilau seasoned with garum,2. The Feast of Tri- 
 malchio in Petronius, 2. Macrobius's description of a sup- 
 per given by Lentulus, 2. Hedge hogs, raw oysters, and 
 asparagus, and purple shellfish, 2. Panes picences, 2. 
 Greeks and Romans children in preparation of viands, 3. 
 Careme's opinion, 3. Cookery a practical art, 3. Characteristics of an- 
 cient and modern cookery, 4. The Monks, 4. Spanish cookery book of 
 Ruberto de Nola, 4. Leo X., Raphael, Guido, Baccio, Bandinelli,' and 
 John of Bologna, 5. Italian wars under Charles VIII. and Louis XII., 5. 
 Cookery under Henry III. became Italian, 6. Cookery under Henry IV., 6. 
 The cabaret, 7. Maitre queux cuisiniers porte-chapes, 7. First regular 
 cookery book in France printed in 1692, 7. The ''Dons de Comus," 9. 
 Preface written bv Father Brumoy, 9. Brumoy's comparison between 
 ancient and modern cookery, 10. Idea of a perfect cook, 10. " Lettre 
 d'un Patissier Anglais," 11. Mrs. Rundell, 12. "La Science du Maitre 
 d'Hdtel Cuisinier," 12. Careme, 13. Moliere, 13. St. Evremond, 14. 
 Lavardin, 15. The Regent Orleans, 15. The Duchess of Berri, 15. 
 Filets de volaille a la Bellevue, 16. Poulets a la Villeroy, 16. Char- 
 treuse a la Mauconseil, 16. Vol au vent a la Nesle, 16. Poularde a la 
 Montmorency, 16. Louis XV., 17. Marquis de Bechamel, 18. Mar- 
 shals Richelieu and Duras, Duke of La Valliere, the Marquis de Brancas, 
 and Count de Tesse', 18. Consumption of pheasants in the kitchens 
 of the Prince de Conde, 18. Louis XVI., 19. His enormous appetite, 
 19. Effects of Revolution on cookery, 19. Cardinal Caraffa, 20. 
 Montaigne, 20. Restaurants, 21. Suppers of Madame du Deffand, 22. 
 Dinners of D'Holbach, 22. Pic-nics of Crawford of Auchinames, 22. 
 The epicure Barras, 23. Danton's love of morels, 23. Barras' love of 
 button mushrooms, 23. Napoleon's dinners, 23. M. de Bausset, M. 
 de Cussy, Cambaceres, Talleyrand^ 25. The " Almanach des Gour- 
 mands," 26. Purge your cooks, 23. Frog dressing at Riom, 28. 
 Veal of Pontoise, 29. Gastaldy and the salmon, 29- Flesh killed by 
 electricity, 30. Asses' flesh, 30. White grease of the fig-pecker, 
 
 31. Beauvilliers, 31. Brillat Savarin, 31. Consumption of turkeys, 
 
 32. The Archbishop of Bordeaux and truflled turkeys, 33. The 
 " Cuisiniere Bourgeoise," 33. Fauche Borel, 33. " Cuisinier Royal," 33.
 
 x Contents. 
 
 Shakespeare, Age of Elizabeth, 34. Age of Anne, Wycherly, Van- 
 brugh, Congreve, Pope, 34. Foote's farce, 35. Bills of fare in Pope's 
 day, 36. The "Queen's Closet Opened," 36. The "Treasure of 
 Hidden Secrets," 37. The ' Gentleman's Companion ; " Dr. Hill, " Mrs. 
 Glasse,"37. The " Connoisseur," 39. White's, Pontacs', Dolly's and 
 Horsmnn's, 39. The " Art of Cookery," by a lady, 39. The " Epicure's 
 Almanack," 40. The " Cook and Confectioner's Dictionary," 40. Mrs. 
 Dalgairns, 40. Scott's " Dictionary of Cookery," Kitchener's "Cook's 
 Oracle," 41. The " Housekeeper's'Oracle," 41. Ude, 42. Walker's 
 ' Original," 42. " Domestic Cookery," by a lady, 45. Careme, 47. 
 Turtle soup, 48. Cookery of England and France, 50. 
 
 CHAPTER II. Ox MODERN COOKERY AND COOKERY BOOKS. 
 
 The object of sensible people should be to adopt all that is good in the 
 cookery of France, 61. French potages and purees, 61. The gigot ;\ 
 I'ail aiix haricots, 62. The filet de bocuf, 62. Vatel, La Chapelle, 
 Grimod de la Reyniere, Beauvilliers, Ude, Laguipierre, Careme, and 
 Plumeret, 65. 
 
 CHAPTER III. ON DINNERS AND DINNER- GIVING. 
 
 Jules Janin, 66. Dr. Johnson, 66. Sydney Smith, 67. Apicius, 67. 
 Nonnius, 67. Lemery, 68. Dr. Lister, 68. Dr. Kitchener, 68. Drs. 
 Pereira and Lankester, 68. London dinners, 69. The finer cuisine bour- 
 gcoi.se of Paris, 69. The majority of Frenchmen thrifty, 70. Bankers' 
 and financiers' dinners, 70. French punctuality, 72. The London 
 season, 73. Difference between grand dinners in England and France, 
 74. Pretentious and costly rivalry in dinners, 76. Hints to dinner- 
 givers, 78. Number of a company, 79. Expensive cookery, 81. The 
 pot-au-feu, 82. Careme's consommes, 82. French sauces, 82. Soles 
 a la Normande, 82. Omelette aux fines herbes, 82. Choice of com- 
 pany, 84. Italian cookery, ices, and confectionery, 85. Spanish and 
 German cookery, 85. Dutch cookery, 88. Dutch eel soup, 88. Flush- 
 ing soup, 88. Russian cookery, 89. Turkish and Indian cookery, 89. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. ON LAYING OUT A TABLE. 
 
 Dinners a la Russe, 91. Two and three courses, 94, 95. The des- 
 sert, 97. Memorandum as to dinners, 97. 
 
 CHAPTER V. How TO CHOOSE FISH, FLESH, FOWL, AND GAME. 
 
 Salmon in and out of season, 98. How to choose various fish, 98 
 109. How to choose venison, 109. Mutton, 111. Lamb, veal, and 
 pork, 112, 113. Bacon and hams, 114, 115. Poultry, game, eggs, 
 cheese, and butter, 115 122.
 
 Contents. xi 
 
 CHAPTER VI. ON SOUPS AND BROTHS. 
 
 Grand bouillon, 124. Rules for making nourishing broth, 125. 
 How to make a stockpot, 126. Celery to flavour soup, 129. Broth, 
 130. The great English soups and broths, 131. Careme and turtle 
 soup, 133. Stocks for white soup, 133. French soups, 134. Puree 
 a la Reine, des carottes au riz, de lapins, a la Chantilly, &c., 134. 
 Soup for winter and spring months, 135. 
 
 CHAPTER VII How TO CLEAN AND BOIL FISH. 
 
 To clean codfish, 137. Pilchards, mackerel, and plaice, 138. Red 
 mullets, skate, aud ling, 139. On boiling fish, 143, 144. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. ON FISH. 
 
 Fish naturally most voracious, 145. As a diet wholesome and 
 palatable, 146. Fish rarely served as an entree in England, 146. 
 Various ways of serving turbot in France, 146-7. Turbot of Medi- 
 terranean, 148. Sturgeon, 148. Caviare, 149. French modes of 
 dressing sturgeon, 149. Modes of dressing sturgeon in England, 149. 
 Sturgeon a la Napoleon, according to Careme, 150. American sturgeon 
 soup, 150. Salmon, 151. French mode of dressing salmon, 151. 
 Noimiuson salmon, 152. Codfish, 152. Galen on haddock, 152. Nonnius 
 and Pliny on haddock, 152. The sole, 153. French modes of dressing, 
 153. Red mullet, 154. Red mullet en caisse, and a la Cardinale, 154. 
 John Dory and lamprey, 154. Quin, the actor, 154. Receipts for 
 dressing lamprey, 155. The Reformation and fish diet, 155. Careme 
 on lenten diet and Murat's kitchen, 155. Fish dinners in Paris, 157. 
 Dinner at the Rocherde Cancale, 1828, 157. Wineat 14frs.and 25frs. 
 the bottle, 158-9. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. THE ROAST. 
 
 Definition of roast, 160. Rotisseries, 161. Rotisseurs, 161. The 
 traiteur, 161. The cuisinier traiteur, 161. The maitre cuisiniers, 
 162. The art of roasting, 162. The best joint for roasting, 163. Doing 
 to a turn, 164. Good roasters rarer than good cooks, 164. Great and 
 little roast, 164. English, roasting, 165. Our game finer than the 
 French, 165. Swift's lines on mutton, 166. Rules for roasting pork, 
 lamb, veal, and poultry, 167. Table of time for roasting, 169. 
 
 CHAPTER X. BOILING. 
 
 Rule as to boiling, 170. Advantage of slow boiling, 172. Time re- 
 quired to boil poultry, 173. Frying, 173.
 
 xii Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER XL POULTRY. 
 
 Definition of poultry, 174. Requisites in a poultry yard, 174. Best 
 modes of feeding and cramming poultry, 175. Wholesomeness of poul- 
 try, 175. L6mery on fowls and capons, 176-7. How the fine flavour 
 is given to the poularde du Mans, 1 78. The barn-doorfowl described by 
 Berchoux, 179. Roast and boiled fowl and turkey. 180. Ways of 
 serving fowls and turkeys in France, 180. Entrees of fowl in France, 
 180-1. Schools of cookery, 181. Christmas consumption of tur- 
 keys in England and France, 181. Truffles with turkey, 181. Chap- 
 tal on fowls, 182. Pros and cons for a dinde aux truffes, 182. Were 
 turkeys known to the ancients? 183. Madame de Sevigne' on capons, 
 183. " The crammer of fowls an oflicer of the royal household, 184. 
 Blackbirds and thrushes, 184. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. GAME AND PASTRY. 
 
 Definition of game, 186. Keeper and taker of pheasants, 186. Swan- 
 herd, 186. 17 Hen. VIII., falconry, 187. Cookery Book of Taillevant, 
 cook to Charles VII.; receipts for dressing herons, 187. Vultures, eagles, 
 and falcons, eaten three centuries ago, 188. Game in Spain, par- 
 tridges ;i la Medina Cocli, 189. Saute's, filets, and recondite modes of 
 dressing game in France, 190. Filets and cutlets of hare and rabbit, 
 191. Pastry and cold entrees, 191. Careme on pastry, 192. Sug- 
 gestions as to patties and pastry, 193. Patisserie, 194. Larks of 
 Pithiviers, 194. Partridges of Perigueux, 194. Poulardes of Angers, 
 194. Foies gras of Versailles, 194. Foies d'oies of Strasbourg and 
 Toulouse, 194. The Chancellor de 1'Hopital on petits pates, 194. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. CHEESE AND SALADS. 
 
 Soft and rich cheeses the best, 196. Stilton and Gruyere, 196. Best 
 English cheeses, 196. Best cheeses in France, 198. "Roquefort, 198. 
 Gruyere, 198. Italian cheeses introduced into France in the reign of 
 Charles VIII., 199. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV.- ON SALAD. 
 
 John Evelyn " On Salets," 202. Fournitures of salads, 202. Chi- 
 coree, 203. "Winter salads, 203. Roman or Coss lettuce, 204. Hotch- 
 potch salads, 204. Salade a 1'italienne, 204. Carcme's salade de poulets 
 a la Reine, 204. Wine vinegar to be used for salads, 206. Chaptal's 
 receipt for dressing salad, 206. Sydney Smith's ditto, 206-7. Span- 
 ish proverb as to salad, 207. D'Albignac a famous salad-dresser, 208. 
 Eleven salads of the time of Champier, 210-11. Dr. Roques' salad of 
 asparagus, 211. Quickness with which asparagus may be cooked, 211. 
 Napoleon's salad of haricots de soissons, 212.
 
 Contents. xiii 
 
 CHAPTER XV, THE DESSERT. 
 
 Careme's opinion of dessert, 213. La Chapelle's opinion of dessert, 
 214. Forced cherries sent from Poitevins, in 1560, to Paris, 215. La 
 Quintinie, head gardener of Louis XIV., served strawberries in March, 
 peas in April, and figs in June, 215. Preserved pines at dessert in 
 Paris, in 1694, 215. Italian liqueur prepared from the pine, 215. 
 Dates, 216. Tunisian dates the best, 216. Oranges, 216. Fondness 
 of Louis XIV. for, 216. Portuguese oranges, 217. Sweet citron, carried 
 by ladies, to produce red lips, 217. Figs common at dessert in France 
 270 years ago, 217. Fig-trees placed in wooden boxes by the gardener 
 of Louis XIV., 218. Figs at Worthing and Hampton Court, 218. 
 Pomegrantes, 218. Chestnuts, 219. Madame de Sevigne on chestnuts, 
 219. Cherries, 220. Apricots, 220. The reine claude, or green- 
 gage, 221. The peaches of Corbeil, of Troyes and, Dauphin6, 222. 
 Peches de vigne, 223. Abricots en plein vent, 223. The New-town 
 pippin, 223. Golden pippin, 223. The paradis de Provence, 223. 
 The capendu, 223. Pears and their different species, 224. Gooseberries, 
 224-5. The chasselas of Fontainbleau, and other grapes, 225. Straw- 
 berries and their varieties, 226. Trois mendiants, 227. Olives of Pro- 
 vence and Languedoc, 227. Gingerbread, 228. The drageoir, 229. 
 Brandied fruits and compotes, 229. Brillat Savarin on the dessert, 230. 
 Melon eaten with bouilli, 231. Madame de Sevign on melons, 232. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. ON ICES. 
 
 Ices, 233. Turks had glacieres in 1553, 233. Henry III. first intro- 
 duced ice, 233. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. COFFEE. 
 
 Coffee, 235. Drank in Paris in 1657, 235. Praises of coffee by 
 Rousseau, Buffon, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Delille, and Lebrun, 236. The 
 retreat from Russia and coffee, 237. Twining's coffee, 238. Brillat 
 Savarin on pounded and ground coffee, 238. The best coffee in Paris, 
 though the finest qualities in the London market, 240. Modes of 
 making coffee, 241-3. Coffee sweetmeats, 242. Dr. Roques' cafe a la 
 crome frappe de glace, 243. Coffee should be hot, clear, and strong, 
 244. Tea, 244. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. ON DIFFERENT LIQUEURS, RATAFIAS, AND 
 
 ELIXIRS, TAKEN AFTER COFFEE. 
 
 Liqueurs, 245. Alkennes and rossolis, 245. Liqueurs of Batavia' 
 Jamaica, Martinique, and Montpelier, 246. Ratafias; absinthe, novau? 
 and cura9oa, 246. Eau d'or and eau de vie de Dantzic, 247. Patin ou 
 rossolis, 248. Madame Theanges and liqueurs, 248. La fenouillette 
 and other lawful liqueurs, 249. Liqueurs of Montpelier and Lorraine, 
 249. Le"mery on black currant ratafia, 250. Liqueurs of French West 
 Indies, 251. L'huile de Venus, 252. Cinnamon water, creme de girofle, 
 curafon, usquebaugh, &c., 253. Eau cordiale of Colladon, 254. Eau tie
 
 xiv Contents. 
 
 vie d'Andaye, 254. Eau divine, cordiale du chasseur nuptiale, 257. 
 Anisette and absinthe, 257. Cherry bounce, rum and pine-apple shrub, 
 257. Petit lait de Henri IV., 1'eau des braves, 1'huile de Venus, le par- 
 fait amour, 1'eau virginale, &c., 259. Adulterations of liqueurs, 260. 
 German liqueurs ; Pomeranzen.Wackholder, Kummel, &c., 260-61. Jean 
 de Milan on liqueurs, 262. Famous cities for liqueurs in France, 262. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. ALE, BEER, CIDER, AND PERRY. 
 
 Bass's, Allsopp's, and Guinness's ale and stout, 263. Cider, its origin 
 and history, 264. Cockey Gee, 265. Perry and hydromel, 266. Dif- 
 ferent kinds of beer, 267. The zythus and curmi of the Egyptians, 267. 
 Fifteen hundred years ago the Parisians commenced with beer, and 
 finished with wine, 268. The descent from wine to beer in France, 270. 
 The French beer called godale, 271. The beer of Cambrai, of Bavaria, 
 of Berlin, and of Brussels, 272. Beer should be light, brisk, and spark- 
 ling, 273. Forty brewers in Paris 120 years ago, 273. Seventy years 
 ago but twenty-three, of whom Santerre the most celebrated, 273. Epi- 
 taph on Santerre, 273. English and Scotch brewers flocked to Paris at 
 the peace in 1815, 273. In seasons of dearth Paris brewers forbidden 
 to make beer, 274. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. ON WINES, ANCIENT AND MODERN. 
 
 Lord Bacon, Bacci, Barry, Redding, Shaw, and Denman'on wines, 
 275, 276. Hippocrates on vinous mixtures, 276. Plato and Homer's 
 praises of wine, 277. Virgil, Pliny, and Columella on wines, 278. 
 The Setine wine commended by Martial, Juvenal, and Silius Italicus, 
 278. Sand, powdered marble, and salt water added to ancient 
 wines, 279. Cato's receipt for artificial Chian and Falernian, 279. 
 The Caecuban, 280. The Falernian, 280. Galen and Martial on 
 Falernian, 280. Virgil on the vinum Rhaeticum, 281. The lighter 
 wines of the Roman territory, 281. The earliest Greek wines, 281. 
 The Thrasian and Cretan wines, 282. Greeks familiar with Asiatic 
 and African wines, 282. Greeks drank wine diluted with water, 282. 
 Athenajus on the TTIVTI KUI dvo, 283. The Greeks had casks, 283. 
 (Jauls knew the use of wine six centuries before Christianity was 
 introduced, 283. Athenajus calls the wine of Marseilles good, 286. 
 The Allobroges mixed pitch with wine, 286 Dioscorides says pitch is a 
 necessary ingredient in Gaulish wine, 286. Secret as to the Bordelais 
 wine, 287. The Marseillaise boiled their wine, 287. Horace and Tibul- 
 lus on the smoking of wine, 288. Baccius on the wines of Alsace, 288. 
 Domitian publishes an order for rooting up one half of the vines in some 
 provinces, and for destroying them in others, 289. This order abrogated 
 by Probus, 289. The Roman legions spread in Gaul employed in re- 
 planting the vine, 289. The Salique law, and law of the Visigoths, as 
 to the cutting of the vine and stealing grapes, 290. Vine propert} 
 regarded as sacred, 290. Tribute decreed by Chilperic, 290. Massacre 
 of the officer who was to levy the tribute, 290. Passion for the culture of 
 the vine among French kings, 290. Wine-presses and utensils for making 
 wine in all the palaces, 290. Charlemagne and his Capitularies, 290. The
 
 Contents. 
 
 xv 
 
 Louvre enclosed vineyards within its precincts, 290. " La Bataille des 
 Vins," a fabliau of the thirteenth century, 291. Philip Augustus had 
 vineyards in many districts of France, 291. Wines of Guyenne sold in 
 Flanders and England, 291. Matthew Paris, on the sale of Gascony 
 wine in England, 292. Froissart on the number of merchantmen that 
 arrived at Bordeaux from England, A. D. 1372, 292. Champier as to the 
 consumption of French wine and corn in England, 292. Charles IX. pro 
 scribed the vine in 1566,292. His ordonnance respecting it, 293. In 1577 
 Henry III. modifies this ordonnance, 293. Louis XV , in 1731, forbade 
 any new plantation of vines, 293. Origin of the expression, vendre & 
 pot, 293. Adulterations 1800 years ago as frequent as now, 294. The 
 ancients understood the maturing of wines, 294. Customs survive forms 
 of polity and government, 294. Identitity of the amphorae to vessels 
 in present use at Asti, Montepulciano, and Montefiascone, 295. Use of 
 casks unknown to Greeks and Romans, 295. Romans employed glass, but 
 a rude glass, 296. Invention of casks due to the Gauls, 296. Ordonnance 
 of Charlemagne as to employment of barrels, 297. The d/3o? or abacus, 
 297. Misquotation of Barry as to abaci, 297. The ancients had ser- 
 vants like our butlers, 297. Business of the OIVOTTTTJC, 298. The cup- 
 bearer and pourer out of wine, 298. Cicero's description of a supper, 
 &c., 298-9. Deep drinkers of a congius or gallon, 299. Cooling of 
 wine by snow not a modern invention, 299. Pliny ascribes it to Nero, 
 
 299. Drinking of healths to absent friends, 299. Extract from Hen- 
 derson as to the manner of pledging friends and drinking healths, 300. 
 Analogy between the French and Greeks as to mixing wine and water, 
 
 300. The vin d'entremets ; the wine for oysters and roast meat, 300. 
 The coup-d'avant aud du milieu, 300. The coup du milieu, according 
 to the "Manuel des Amphitryons," 301. Wormwood, Jamaica rum, or 
 old cognac used for it, 301. Practice at Bordeaux in this respect, 301. 
 The coup-d'avant used in Russia, Sweden, and Germany, 302. The 
 coup-d'apres, what, 302 Wine used for it, 302. Wine cellars of the 
 ancients, 303. Precautions as to cellar, 303. Women forbidden to 
 enter the cellars of the ancients, 303. Principles of the ancients as to 
 cellars, 303. An ante-cellar advisable, 304. Salt used in cellars, 305. 
 The ancients more effectually preserved their wines than the moderns, 
 305. Wine better tasted in quarts than in pints, 305. Ancient rules 
 for site of cellars, and on time for tasting and racking, still sanctioned by 
 practice, 305. Wine of middle age best and most grateful, 305. Fancy 
 prices paid for old wines, 306. No one obliged to drink on compulsion 
 among the ancients, 306. Irish practice, 306. Some ancient sages 
 great bibbers, but unexcited, 306. Cyrus a larger drinker than Arta- 
 xerxes, and therefore, in his own thinking, worthier of the crown, 306. 
 Darius's capacity of drinking, 307. Hippocrates rarely directs water, 
 but almost invariably wine mixed with water, 307. "Cornaro before 
 and after a new vintage, 307. His plan of preserving his health, 308. 
 Effect of fresh sugar-canes on mules, 308. Pitching ancient and mo- 
 dern wines, 308. Monster puncheons in Latium and Germany, 309-10. 
 The French constructed their wine-vats in brick or stone, 310. Pierre 
 de Blois's denunciation of the luxury of the twelfth century, 310. Re- 
 past of Philippe de Valois aud his leathern bottles, 311. Wine supplied
 
 xvi Contents. 
 
 by a miracle, 311. The tanners of Amiens obliged to furnish the bishop 
 with two leathern bottles, 312. The derivation of the word bottle, 312. 
 The name afterwards applied to decanters, 312. Charles VI., accord- 
 ing to Froissart, was supplied with wine out of leathern bottles, 312. 
 Oregon' of Tours speaks of the wines of Macon, Orleans, Cahors, and 
 Dijon, 313. Wines of Rheims and Marne mentioned in a letter of Pan- 
 dulus, 313. Henry I. and the wine of Rcbrechien, 313. Louis le 
 Jeune and the wine of Orleans, 313. Wines of Auxerre, Beaune, &c., 
 314. Wine of Chabli, Epernai, Rheims, &c., 314. The popes drank 
 Beaune at Avignon, 314. The queen of Louis XII. sent Beanne to the 
 ambassadors of the Emperor Maximilian at Blois, 314. Caprice in the 
 estimate of wine, 315. Wine of Romance Conti, 315. Wine of Mantes 
 carried to Persia uninjured, 316. Burgundy and Champagne in the 
 fifteenth century, 316. Leo X., Charles V., Francis I., and Henry VIII., 
 had vineyards in Champagne, 316. Erasmus and Burgundy wine, 316. 
 Champier on the excellence of French wines, 317. Rabelais vaunts 
 Auxerre wine, 317. Canteperdrix wine, 317. This wine sent to Rome 
 for the pope, 317. Canteperdrix wine now known as the vin de Beau- 
 caire, 317. Favourite beverage of Henry IV, 318. Paumier on the 
 colours of wine, 318. Wines of Chateau Thierry gout producing, 319. 
 Gout does not come from Champagne, 319. Baccius on the wines of 
 France, 319-20. Paumier on the wines of Paris, 320. Liebaut and 
 Patin on wines, 320. The vin de Condrieux, 321. The manner of 
 making Orleans wines, 321. Boileau on the wine of Orleans, 322. 
 Vin de Grave, mentioned in 1550, 322. Why the wine is called Grave, 
 323. The Haut-Brion, 323. Hermitage, "323. Hermitage of Lord 
 Castlereagh, afterwards Marquis of Londonderry, 323. Hermitage di- 
 vided into five classes, 323. Prices of Hermitage, 324. How the Bur- 
 gundy wines got their reputation, 325. The via de Tonnerre, 325. 
 The Abbe" de Marolles' list of Burgundy wines, 325. The wine of 
 Olivotte, 326. The viu de Chablis for oysters, 326. Vin de Pouilly 
 and Bucellas good with oysters, 326. Difficulty of transporting Bur- 
 gundy, 327. Extent of Burgundy vineyards, 328. Arthur Young oil 
 the vineyards, 328. Mr. James Busby on the Burgundy vineyards, 329. 
 Clos Vougeot, 329. The late notorious Ouvrard, 330. Pere Perignon 
 and the wines of Hautvilliers, 330. Sparkling Burgundy and Moselle, 
 330. The vin de Xuits, 330. The St. George, Meursalt, and Mont 
 Rachet, 331. Volnay the finest wine in Barry's time, 331. The vin de 
 Beaune, 331. The vin de Pomard, 332. Chambertin the wine of Na- 
 poleon, 332. The Romance Conti, 333. The Macon and Beaujolais 
 wines, 334. Ma^on a wholesome wine, 335. Adulterated at Paris, 335. 
 Burgundy not to be iced, 335. Burgundy at the roast, 336. Cham- 
 pagne wine, 337. Dispute, in the time of Louis XIV., between the 
 Burgundy doctor and the Champenois, 337. Fagon forbid the use of 
 Champagne^) Louis XIV., 337. Opinion of the faculty of the town of 
 Rheims, 337. Colbert, a Champenois, but he did not give renown to the 
 wines, 338. Francis I., Leo. X., Charles V., and Henry VIII. had vine- 
 yards at AT, 338. Volnay drank at the coronation of Sobieski, 338. 
 Beaune served at Venice to the senators after the conquest of the Morea, 
 338. St. Evremond on Champagne wine, 338. Champagne used in putrid
 
 Contents. xvii 
 
 fevers, 339. Millions of worthless Champagne sold at two francs and 
 three francs the bottle, 340. Dr. Henderson on Champagne, 340. The 
 briskest Champagne not the best, 340. Cremants and demi-mousseux 
 wines, 341. Sillery Champagne, 341. Vin de la Marechale, 342. The 
 rich, dry Sillery, 342. Champagne not a vin de garde. 342. Old 
 Champagne, 343. Jaquesson's cellars, 343. Champagne always im- 
 proved by ice, 343. Jullien on the high price of the vins mousseux, 
 
 344. How to obtain a first-rate Champagne, 345. Hundreds of thou- 
 sands of bottles of Champagne at the docks are not worth the duty, 
 
 345. When the bottling of Champagne begins, 345. Vins grand 
 mousseux, 346. Precautions in packing Champagne for exportation, 
 
 346. Champagne for India and America packed in salt, 346. Bur- 
 gundies so packed preserve their qualities, 347. ' Claret, 347. Cha- 
 teau Margaux and Chateau Latitte, 348. Monton and Loville, 348. 
 Kirwan and Chateau d'Issau, 348. St. Julien, Bechevelle and St. 
 Pierre, 348. Great management in Bordeaux cellars, 349. Brandy 
 ought to be put in in very small quantities, 349. Extract from Davies' 
 work on colouring Claret, 350. A freer exchange of the vinous wealth 
 of France with England desirable, 351. Difference in price between 
 first and inferior wines, 352. Mixture of Benicarlo and other wines 
 with claret, 353. The age of wine at Bordeaux counted par feuilles, 
 353. What Barry wrote ninety years ago on Claret wines, 353. Names 
 of the proprietors of vineyards and factors, 110 years ago, 354. Irish 
 Claret and Irish wine merchants, 355. The Bordeaux wines celebrated 
 in the days of Ausonius, 355. A great proportion of the wine drank as 
 Claret is vin ordinaire, 355. Definition of the word Claret, 356. The 
 Cote Rod, 356-7. Hermitage and its division into five classes, 357. 
 White Hermitage of the late Lord Castlereagh, 357. Hermitage of the 
 late Marquis of Wellesley, 358. The cost of wine cultivation in France 
 immense, 359. The German wines, their general character and dura- 
 bility, 359. Price of Riidesheim, 359. lu Barry's day the best old 
 Hock sold at 50/. the auhm, 360. Marcobrunner, Riidesheimer and Niersti- 
 ner, 360. Julius Hospitalis and Liesteinwein wines, 360. Spanish wines, 
 360-1. Cellars and stock of Gordon and Co. of Cadiz, 361. Amontil- 
 lado, 361. Port and Madeira, 362. The Italian wine?, 362. The 
 wines of Hungary, 362. The Greek wines over-rated, 363. The Con- 
 stantia wine of the Cape, 363. The Russian Champagne, 363. The New 
 South Wales wines, 363. New vintages, 364. Advice as to purchase and 
 stock of wines, 365. Good and low-priced wine a myth, 366. Prices 
 of wines at sales in Edinburgh and Dublin, 366. Prices of Amontillado, 
 Montilla, and Manzinilla, 366. Fabulous prices given for old Ports and 
 Sherries, 366. First-rate Clarets rising in price, 367. Burgundies, 367. 
 Dietetic qualites of wine, 367. The best Burgundies and Champagnes, 
 
 368. The best Bordeaux wines, 368. Red Constantia and Frontignan, 
 
 369. Consumption of Champagne doubled in England since 1848, 369. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. THE CELLAK FOE WINES. 
 
 The cellar for wines, 370. Requisites of a wine-cellar, 370. Lighter 
 wines require a colder cellar than strong, 371. 
 
 b
 
 xviii Contents. 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Luxuries of the table in France and England in mediaeval and mo- 
 dern times, 373. Menu of a dinner given by Mathieu Mole, in 1652, 
 375. Menu of a supper of the Regent Orleans, 376. Menu of a 
 supper of Louis XV., 377. Carte dinatoire of the citizen General Barras, 
 378. Menu of the family Buonaparte at the Tuileries on Samedi 
 Saint, 1811, 379. Bill of fare of the first dinner of Louis XVIII. at 
 Compiegne, 380. Bill of fare of a dinner given by the Emperor Alex- 
 ander on 1 1th September, 1815,382. Bill of fare of the first diplomatic 
 dinner of the Duke of Wellington in 1815, 383. Menu of a royal 
 banquet given at the Tuileries by Louis XVIII. on Twelfth-day, 
 1820, 384. Bill of fare, 385. Luxuries in the days of Queen Mary, 
 385. Common Council's regulation as to dinners, 385. Regulations 
 for the aldermen, sheriffs, and city corporation, 386. City venison 
 feasts in time of Elizabeth, 386. Letter of the Lord Mayor and alder- 
 men to Lord Burleigh, 386. The reign of Queen Anne the golden age 
 of cookery, 386. Dr. King's "Art of Cookery," 386- Sir John Hill, 
 M.D., 386. The great Lord Chesterfield, 386. La Chapelle his 
 cook, 386. Cookery book of La Chapelle, 386. Lord Chesterfield sit- 
 ting on a chair outside Chesterfield House, 387. Bill of fare of official 
 dinner of Lord Chesterfield, 387. Bill of fare of a supper of Lord Ches- 
 terfield, 389. The French emigrants in London, 390. Entertainments 
 given to the French royal family by the Marquis of Buckingham and Earl 
 of Moira, 390. Reception of the Count de Lille at Stowe, 390. Stowe, a 
 scene of great festivity in 1805 and 1808,390. Bill of fare of Christmas- 
 dinner in 1808, given by the Duke of Buckingham to Louis XVIII, 391. 
 The Prince Regent's love of French cookery, 392. Bill of fare for the 
 coronation banquet of George IV., 392. Bill of fare for a private dinner 
 given at the Pavilion, Brighton, in 1817, 393. Bills of fare for dinners 
 in January, April, May, and June, also for a dinner ;in plain English 
 fashion, 395. Anthony Careme, 396. Mr. Wm. Hall's panegyric on 
 Careme, 398. Autobiography of Careme, 399 to 406. Fete given at the 
 Elys6e for the marriage of Prince Jerome, 406. New invention of Ca- 
 reme, 407. Aphorisms, thoughts, and maxims of Careme, 407. Death 
 of Careme in 1835 or 1836, 409. Careme bestowed fine names on his 
 soups, 409. Careme on maigre sauces, 409.
 
 
 
 TERMS IN USE IN THE KITCHEN. 
 
 TELETS. Small silver skewers. 
 .4 natural. Plainly done. 
 Bain Marie. A warm-water bath ; to be pur- 
 chased at the ironmonger's. 
 Barber. To cover with slices of lard. 
 
 Blanc. A rich broth or gravy, in which the French cook 
 palates lamb's head, and many other things. It is made thus : 
 A pound of beef kidney fat, minced, put on with a sliced carrot, 
 an onion stuck with two cloves, parsley, green onions, slices of 
 lemon without the peel or seeds, or, if much is wanted, two 
 pounds of fat and two lemons. When the fat is a good deal 
 melted, put in water made briny with salt ; and when done, 
 keep the blanc for use. 
 
 Blanchir. To blanch by giving some boils in water. 
 
 Bourguignote. A ragout of trtiffles. 
 
 Braise. A manner of stewing meat which greatly improves 
 the taste by preventing any sensible evaporation. 
 
 Braisiere. Braising-pan a copper vessel tinned, deep and 
 long, with two handles, the lid concave on the outside, that fire 
 may be put in it. 
 
 Brider. To truss up a fowl or anything else with a needle 
 and pack-thread, or tape. 
 
 Buisson. A method of piling up pastry to a point. 
 
 Bundle or Bunch. Made with parsley and green onions, 
 when seasoned, bay leaves, two bunches of thyme, a bit of 
 sweet basil, two cloves, and six leaves of mace are added. 
 
 Capilotade. A common hash of poultry. 
 
 Cassis. That part which is attached to the tail end of a loin 
 of veal : in beef, the same part is called the rump. 
 
 Civet. A hash of game or wild fowl. 
 
 Compiegne. A French sweet yeast cake, with fruit, &c., &c.
 
 xx Terms in Use in the Kitchen. 
 
 Compote. A fine mixed ragout to garnish white poultry, 
 &c. ; also a method of stewing fruit for dessert. 
 
 Compotier. A dish amongst the dessert service appropriated 
 to the use of the compote. 
 
 Couronne (en). To serve any prescribed articles on a dish in 
 the form of a crown. 
 
 Court ou Short. To reduce a sauce very thick. 
 
 Croustades. Fried crusts of bread. 
 
 Cuisson. The manner in which meat, vegetables, pastry, or 
 sugar is dressed. It means also the broth or ragout in which 
 meat or fish has been dressed. 
 
 Cidlis or Coulis. The gravy or juice of meat. A strong 
 consomme. 
 
 Dessert, entree de. Dish made of preceding day's remains. 
 
 Dorer. To brush pastry, &c., with yolk of egg well beaten. 
 
 Dorure. Yolks of eggs well beaten. 
 
 Entre cote de Bceuf. This is the portion of the animal which 
 lies under the long ribs, or those thick slices of delicate meat 
 which may be got from between them. 
 
 Entrees. A name given to dishes served in the first course 
 with the fish dishes. 
 
 Entremets is the second course, which comes between the 
 roast meat and the dessert. 
 
 Escalopes. Small pieces of meat cut in the form of some 
 kind of coin. 
 
 Fagot is a bunch of parsley (the size varies of course), a 
 bay leaf, and a sprig of thyme, tied up closely. When any- 
 thing beyond this is required it is specified in the article. 
 
 Farce. This word is used in speaking of chopped meat, fish, 
 or herbs, with which poultry and other things are stuffed. 
 
 Feuilletage. Puff-paste. 
 
 Filets Mignons. Inside small fillets. 
 
 Financiere. An expensive, highly flavoured, mixed ragout, 
 Glacer (to glaze). To reduce a sauce by means of ebulli- 
 tion to a consistency equal to that of ice. Well made glaze 
 adheres firmly to the meat. 
 
 Godiveau. A common veal forcemeat. 
 Gras (au). This signifies that the article specified is dressed 
 with meat gravy. 
 
 Gratiner. To crisp and obtain a grilled taste. 
 Grosses pieces de Fonds. There are in cookery two very 
 distinct kinds of grosses pieces : the first comprehends substan-
 
 Terms in Use in the Kitchen. xxi 
 
 tial pieces for removes, &c. ; the other pieces montees, or orna- 
 ments ; by pieces de fonds is implied all dishes in pastry that 
 form one entire dish, whether from its composition, or from its 
 particular appearance ; as for example cold pies, Savoy cakes, 
 brioches, Babas, gateaux de Compeigne, &c. ; whilst the pieces 
 montees, or ornamental pastries, are more numerous. 
 
 Hors (fceuvres. Small dishes served with the first course. 
 
 Larding-pin. An utensil by means of which meat, &c., is 
 larded. 
 
 Lardoire (larder). An instrument of wood or steel for lard- 
 ing meat. 
 
 Lardons. The pieces into which bacon and other things are 
 cut, for the purpose of larding meat, &c., &c. 
 
 To Lard is when you put the bacon through the meat. 
 Things larded do not glaze well. Everything larded on the 
 top or surface is called pique. 
 
 Madeleines. Cakes made of the same composition as pound- 
 cakes. 
 
 Mariner. Is said of meat or fish when put in oil or vinegar, 
 with strong herbs, to preserve it. 
 
 Mark. To prepare meat to be dressed in a stew-pan. 
 
 Mask. To cover a dish with aragoutor something of the sort. 
 
 Nourir is to put in more ham, bacon, butter, &c. 
 
 Noix de Veau. The leg of veal is divided into three distinct 
 fleshy parts, besides the middle bone ; the larger part, to which 
 the udder is attached, is called the noix, the flat part under it 
 sous noix, and the side part, contre noix, &c. The petites noix 
 are in the side of the shoulder of veal. 
 
 Paillasse. A grill over hot cinders. 
 
 Pain de beurre. An ounce, or an ounce and a half of butter, 
 made in the shape of a roll. 
 
 Panner. To sprinkle meat or fish which is dressed on the 
 gridiron with crumbs of bread dipped in butter and eggs. 
 
 Panures. Everything that is rolled in, or stewed with bread 
 crumbs. 
 
 Parer is freeing the meat of nerves, skin, and all unneces- 
 sary fat. 
 
 Paupiettes. Slices of meat, rather broad, to be rolled up. 
 
 Pique is to lard with a needle game, fowls, and other meats. 
 
 Poele. Almost the same operation as braising, the only dif- 
 ference is, that what is poele must be underdone ; whereas a 
 braise must be done through.
 
 xxli Terms in Use in the Kitchen. 
 
 Puit. A well, or the void left in the middle, when anything is 
 dished round as a crown. 
 
 A Puree of onions, turnips, mushrooms, &c., is a pulpy mash, 
 or sauce of the vegetable specified, thinned with boiling cream 
 or gravy. 
 
 Quenelles. Meat minced or potted, as quenelles of meat, 
 game, fowls, and rish. 
 
 Roux. This is an indispensable article in cookery, and 
 serves to thicken sauces ; the brown is for sauces of the same 
 colour, and the colour must be obtained by slow degrees, other- 
 wise the flour will burn and give it a bitter taste, and the 
 sauces become spotted with black. 
 
 Reduce. To boil a soup down to a jelly, or till it becomes 
 rich and thick. 
 
 Sabotiere. A pewter or tin vessel, in which are placed the 
 moulds containing the substance to be frozen. 
 
 Sasser. To stir and work a sauce with a spoon. 
 
 Sauce tournee and veloute are not the same, nor has the latter 
 name been substituted by the moderns for the former. Sauce 
 tournee is an unfinished sauce ; it is of itself a basis for many 
 other white sauces, but it is in no instance served alone as a 
 sauce with any entree or entremets. Veluute is served with 
 hashes of chickens, veal, boudins a la reine, eminces, and entrees 
 of quenelles, &c. 
 
 Sautez is to mix or unite all the parts of a ragout, by shak- 
 ing it about. 
 
 Singez. To dust flour from the dredging-box, which is 
 afterwards to be moistened in order to be dressed. 
 
 Tamis (Tammy). An instrument to strain broth and 
 sauces. 
 
 Tendrons (veal) are found near the extremity of the ribs. 
 
 Tourner. To stir a sauce; also to pare and cut roots, vege- 
 tables, &c., neatly. 
 
 Tourte. A puff-paste pie. 
 
 Vanner. To work a sauce well up with a spoon, by lifting 
 it up and letting it fall.
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL COOKERY COMPARED WITH THE 
 COOKEHY OF THE LAST HALF CENTUEY. 
 
 HE traditions of classic cookery may be 
 said to be nearly effaced ; but sufficient 
 remains recorded to afford grounds for 
 comparison, and he must be prejudiced 
 who hesitates for an instant to award the palm to the 
 moderns. An impartial person need but to glance 
 over the ten books left us under the name of Apicius,* 
 to come to the conclusion of the ingenious Jean le 
 Clerc, who says that " the work contains receipts for 
 extraordinary dishes and strange ragouts, which would 
 ruin the stomach, and burn up the blood." One of 
 the most nauseous of the condiments which entered 
 into the Roman ragouts was the garum, by some 
 supposed to be the expressed brine of the anchovy : 
 while others contend it was an acrid decoction of the 
 mackerel. This abominable sauce has now been 
 
 * An edition of Api-iu<, with notes and comments, has been 
 given by Dr. Lister, physician to Queen Anne. 
 
 B
 
 2 Ancient and Medi&val Cookery. 
 
 banished Christendom, yet has found a refuge in the 
 congenial cookery of " our most ancient ally," the 
 Turk. Travellers who have visited Turkey and 
 Constantinople, will recur, as I do, with no pleasurable 
 sensations to the pilau seasoned with this acrid and 
 ill-savoured preparation. 
 
 Though the feast of Trimalchio, so graphically told 
 in the pages of Petronius, is somewhat overcharged, 
 and too Asiatic in style and taste to be true to the 
 letter, yet it gives an idea of the domestic economy 
 of the Romans, and supports the opinion as to the 
 superiority of modern cookery ; but if more positive 
 evidence were wanting in support of these views, it 
 might be found in a passage of Macrobius, the des- 
 cription of a supper given by Lentulus. For the first 
 course, says the officer of the household of Theodosius, 
 there were sea hedge hogs, raw oysters, and asparagus; 
 for the second, a fat fowl, with another plate of oysters 
 and shell fish, several species of dates, fig-peckers, 
 roebuck, and Avild boar, fowls encrusted with paste, 
 and the purple shell fish, then esteemed so great a 
 delicacy. The third course was composed of a wild 
 boar's head, of ducks, of a compote of river birds, of 
 leverets, roast fowl, and Ancona cakes, called panes 
 picences, which must have somewhat resembled York- 
 shire pudding. There is one secret, however, which 
 we may well desire to learn from the Romans, 
 namely, the manner of preserving oysters alive, in 
 any journey however long or however distant. The
 
 Ancient and Medi&val Cookery. 3 
 
 possession of this secret is the more extraordinary, as 
 it is well known that a shower of rain will kill oysters 
 subjected to its influence, or the smallest grain of 
 quick lime destroy their vitality.* It will be seen 
 from what I have stated, that epicurism is an ancient 
 vice ; but all the French authorities, nevertheless, 
 agree in thinking that the Greeks and Romans, not- 
 withstanding their luxury and civilization, were mere 
 children in the preparation of their viands. The 
 reason of this, says Careme, is, that they sacrificed 
 too much to sugars, fruits and flowers, and that they 
 had not the colonial spices and learned sauces of me- 
 diaeval and modern cookery. It is true that the 
 " officers of the mouth" of Lucullus and Pompey were 
 possessed of secrets to stimulate the jaded appetite, 
 and give tone to the debilitated stomach : but not- 
 withstanding all their profusion, I am inclined to think 
 that Careme and the corps of French cooks are right 
 in their disparaging observations touching ancient 
 cookery. 
 
 Cookery is eminently an experimental and a 
 practical art. Each day, while it adds to our ex- 
 perience, increases also our knowledge, and as we have 
 come long after the Romans, and have had the benefit 
 of their experience, it is no marvel that we should 
 have greatly surpassed them. The characteristic of 
 ancient cookery was profusion ; the characteristic of 
 
 * " Cours Gastronoinique," 124.
 
 4 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 
 
 modern is delicacy and refinement. In the fifth 
 century all trace of the Roman cookery had already 
 disappeared. The barbarians from afar had savoured 
 the scent of the Roman ragouts. The eternal city 
 was invested, and her kitchen destroyed. The con- 
 secutive incursions of hordes of barbarous tribes and 
 nations had put out at once the light of science and 
 the fire of cookery. Darkness was now abroad, and 
 the " glory" of the culinary art was, for a time, 
 " extinguished,' 1 but, happily, not for ever. " Lorsque 
 il n'y a plus de cuisine dans le monde, il n'y a plus 
 de lettres, il n'y a plus d'unite sociale," says the en- 
 lightened and ingenious Careme. 
 
 But the darkness of the world was not of long du- 
 ration. The monks the much-abused and much 
 mistaken monks fanned the embers of a nascent 
 literature, and cherished the flariie of a new cookery. 
 The free cities of Italy, Genoa, Venice, Pisa, Florence, 
 the common mothers of poetry, painting, sculpture, 
 and architecture, contemporaneously revived the gas- 
 tronomic taste. The Mediterranean and the Adriatic 
 offered their fish, and the taste for table luxuries ex- 
 tended itself to the maritime towns and other cities 
 of the Peninsula, to Cadiz, to Barcelona, to St. 
 Sebastian, and to Seville. 
 
 Spain had the high honour of having furnished the 
 first cookery book in any modern tongue. It is en- 
 titled " Libro de Cozina, compuesto por Ruberto 
 de Nola." 1 also possess an edition of the " Arte de
 
 Ancient and Medi&val Cookery. 5 
 
 Cocina compuesto por Francisco Martinez Montino," 
 printed in Madrid in 1623, and presented by His 
 Royal Highness the late Duke of Sussex to Lady 
 Augusta Murray. This work is exceedingly rare. 
 The cookery professed at this epoch was no longer an 
 imitation of the Greek or Roman kitchen, or of the 
 insipid dishes and thick sauces of the Byzantine cooks. 
 It was a new and improved and extended science. 
 It recognised the palate, stomach, and digestion of 
 man. The opulent, nobles of Italy, the rich merchant 
 princes, charged with the affairs and commissions of 
 Europe and Asia, the heads of the church bishops, 
 cardinals, and popes, now cultivated and encouraged 
 the culinary art. Arts, letters, and cookery revived 
 together, and among the gourmands of the fifteenth 
 and sixteenth centuries, some of the most celebrated 
 pontiffs and artists of the time may be named, as 
 Leo X., Raphael, Guido, Baccio Bandinelli, and 
 John of Bologna. Raphael, the divine Raphael, did 
 not think it beneath him to design plates and dishes 
 for his great patron the most holy father. While 
 Italy had made this progress, France, the nurse of 
 modern, if not the mother of mediaeval cooks, was in 
 a state of barbarism, from which she was raised by 
 the Italian wars under Charles VIII. and Louis XII. 
 The Gauls learned a more refined cookery at the siege 
 of Naples, as the Cossacks did some hundreds of years 
 later in the Champs Elysees of Paris. Here ends 
 the parallel, however; for while the people of France,
 
 6 Ancient and Mediaval Cookery. 
 
 like most apt pupils, surpassed their masters, we have 
 yet to wait for the least glimmering of culinary art 
 at Moscow, Kieff or Novogorod, or even at that fag 
 end of Finland (which is not Russia) called St. 
 Petersburgh. An attempt was made a couple of 
 years ago by Mr. Money to get up a sensation in 
 favour of Russian cookery, but the attempt was a 
 failure. 
 
 It was under Henry III., about 1580, that the 
 delicacies of the Italian tables were introduced at 
 Paris. The sister arts of design and drawing were 
 now called into requisition to decorate dishes and 
 dinner-tables. How great was the progress in the 
 short space of 150 years, may be inferred from an edict 
 of Charles VI., which forbad to his liege subjects a 
 dinner consisting of more than two dishes with the 
 soup : " Nemo audeat dare prater duo fercula cum 
 potagio." At this period the dinner hour was ten 
 o'clock in the morning, while the supper was served 
 at four. The social, friendly, and agreeable humour 
 of Henry IV., in a succeeding reign, contributed to 
 the spread of a more kindly spirit, and a better cookery. 
 This monarch was eminently of a frank and cordial 
 nature, and his personal qualities contributed to the 
 security of his throne, to his successes both in negoti- 
 ation and war, and to the social comforts and material 
 prosperity of his subjects. His benevolent wish that 
 every peasant in his dominions might have a fowl in 
 the pot for his Sunday dinner, discloses a warm and
 
 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 7 
 
 affectionate heart, and was not lost on a nation com- 
 bining the greatest share of intellect with sensuality. 
 The cabaret then was what the cafe is now, and was 
 the rendezvous of marquis and chevalier, and people 
 of condition. Men learned to pursue the pleasures 
 and enjoyments of life in the cabaret, and their wants 
 become multiplied, and their desires extended. It 
 was Henry IV. who first permitted the traiteurs to 
 form a community, with the title of " Maitre queux 
 cuisiniers porte-chapes," in 1599. 
 
 The first regular cookery book published in France 
 was, I believe, printed at Rouen in 1692, the very 
 year in which Sir George Rooke struck so signal and 
 successful a blow against the marine of our neighbours. 
 It was the production of the Sieur de la Varranne, 
 esquire of the kitchen of M. d'Uxelles. It is dedicated 
 to MM. Louis Chalon du Bled, Marquis d'Uxelles 
 and of Cormartin. The first sentence of the dedication 
 is a curiosity in its way, and sufficiently indicates the 
 immense distance which feudalism then interposed 
 between an esquire of the kitchen and a French 
 marquis and lieutenant-general, holding the rank of 
 governor of the citadel of Chalons-sur-Saone. " Mon- 
 seigneur," says the book, " bien que ma condition ne 
 me rende pas capable d'un cosur heroique, elle me 
 donne cependant assez de ressentiment pour ne pas 
 oublier mon devoir. J'ai trouvc dans votre maison, 
 par un emploi de dix ans entiers, le secret d'apprester 
 delicatement les viandes." The preface is not less
 
 8 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 
 
 curious than the dedication. The author begins by 
 stilting that, as it is the first book of the kind which 
 has been published, he hopes it will not be found al- 
 together useless. A number of books, says he, have 
 been published containing remedies and cures at small 
 cost ; but no book has yet been printed with a view 
 of preserving and maintaining the health in a good 
 state, and a perfect disposition, teaching how to 
 separate the ill quantity of viands by good and diver- 
 sified seasonings, which tend only to give substantial 
 nourishment, being well dressed. These are things 
 conformable to theappetite, which regulate corpulency, 
 and ought to be no less considered, &c. He expatiates 
 on the thousand-and-one vegetables and other 
 " victual," which people know not how to dress with 
 honour and contentment (" avec honneur et con- 
 tentement"), and then exclaims that, as France has 
 borne off the bell from all other nations in courtesy 
 and bienseance, it is only right and proper that she 
 should be no less esteemed for her polite and delicate 
 manner of living (" pour la facon de vivre honneste et 
 delicate"). Many of the receipts are curious, and 
 some of them useful. The frequency with which he 
 introduces capers into his cookery, an article for 
 which we are indebted to Barbary, and rarely intro- 
 duced into the cookery of modern France, except in 
 sauces for turbot and salmon, and in a few entrees, 
 liaisons, and ragouts, is extraordinary. 
 
 La Varranne, after having given hundreds of other
 
 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 9 
 
 receipts, consoles himself, at the conclusion of his la- 
 bours, with the reflection, " That as all other books, 
 as well ancient as modern, were composed for the ali- 
 ment of the mind, it was but just that the body should 
 be a little considered," and therefore it was, says he, 
 that I meddled with a subject so necessary to its con- 
 servation. Enjoy, then, my receipts, dear reader, he 
 exclaims, " Jouissez en, cher lecteur, pendant que je 
 m'etudierai a vous exposer en vente quelque chose 
 qui meritera vos emplois plus relevez et plus solides." 
 
 The first edition of that remarkable cookery book, 
 the "Dons de Comus," appeared about 1740, and is 
 in every respect a superior work to the droll produc- 
 tion just mentioned. It was composed by M. Marin, 
 cook of the Duchesse de Chaulnes. The very learned 
 and ingenious preface, signed de Querlon, is by Father 
 Brumoy, the Jesuit, the translator of the " Theatre 
 des Grecs." An Italian author calls a preface the sauce 
 of a book, " La Salsa del Libro ;" and certainly never 
 was there a more piquant and spicy sauce than that 
 of the erudite Father. He has brought ancient and 
 modern literature to bear on the matter in hand. Not 
 content with citing orators, poets and historians, he 
 has also summoned the doctors, in the persons of the 
 Frenchman Hecquet and the Englishman Cheyne. 
 His comparison between ancient and modern cookery 
 is ingenious. 
 
 " Modern cookery," says he, " established on the 
 foundations of the ancient, possesses more variety,
 
 10 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 
 
 simplicity and cleanliness, with infinitely less of la- 
 bour and elaboration, and it is withal more sgavante. 
 The ancient cuisine was complicated and full of details. 
 But the modern cuisine is a perfect system of che- 
 mistry. The science of the cook consists in decom- 
 posing, in rendering easy of digestion, in quintes- 
 sencing (so to speak) the viands, in extracting from 
 them light and nourishing juices, and in so mixing 
 them together, that no one flavour shall predominate, 
 but that all shall be harmonised and blended. This 
 is the high aim and great effort of art. The harmony 
 which strikes the eye in a picture should in a sauce 
 cause in the palate as agreeable a sensation." There 
 is nothing new under the sun. A friend has recently 
 lent me a copy of St. Augustine, in which is the very 
 same thought, " Omina pulchritudinis formae unitas 
 est," says the learned father. The following is Father 
 Brumoy's idea of a perfect cook : " A perfect cook 
 should exactly understand the properties of the sub- 
 stances he employs, that he may correct or render 
 more perfect (corriger ou perfectionner) such aliments 
 as nature presents in a raw state. He should have a 
 sound head (la tete saine), a sure taste, and a delicate 
 palate, that he may cleverly combine the ingredients. 
 Seasoning is the rock of indifferent cooks (1'ecueil 
 des mediocres ouvriers). A cook should have a ready 
 hand to operate promptly and should assiduously study 
 the palate of his master, wholly conforming his own
 
 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 11 
 
 thereto."* All this is excellent in its way. It is rare 
 to find history, metaphysics and chemistry, the tone 
 of a man of the world, the taste of an erudite classic, 
 and the talent of a really good cook, so happily 
 blended. Father Brumoy is the very opposite of that 
 Greek cook, of whom Pausanias makes mention, 
 whom all the world praised for his running, but whom 
 no one praised for his ragouts: for in the three 
 volumes now before me there are a variety of admi- 
 rable receipts, which have made the stock in trade of 
 many cookery books more vaunted and better known 
 than Father Brumoy's. 
 
 The " Dons de Comus " w r as followed by a spruce 
 little satire, intituled " Lettre d'un Patissier Anglais 
 au nouveau cuisinier Fran^ais," in which the soi- 
 disant pastrycook deals some hard blows to the Jesuit. 
 
 In the " Dons de Comus " there had been much 
 dissertation about quintessences, and the giving the 
 largest portion of nutriment in the smallest possible 
 compass. Hereupon the " Patissier Anglais " says, 
 " Thus the more the nourishment of the body shall 
 be subtilised and alembicated, the more will the quali- 
 ties of the mind be rarefied and quintessenced too. 
 From these principles, demonstrated in your work, 
 great advantage may be reaped in all educational es- 
 tablishments. Children lose an infinity of time in 
 learning the dead languages, and other trash of that 
 
 * " Namque cocus domini debet habere gulam." MARTIAL.
 
 12 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 
 
 kind, whereas, henceforward, it will only be necessary, 
 according to your system, to give them an alimentary 
 education, proper for the state for which they are 
 destined. For example : for a young lad destined to 
 live in the atmosphere of a court, whipped cream and 
 calves' trotters should be procured; for a sprig of 
 fashion, linnets' heads, quintessences of May bugs, 
 butterfly broth, and other light trifles. For a lawyer, 
 destined to the chicanery of the Palais or who would 
 shine at the bar, sauces of mustard and vinegar and 
 other condiments of a bitter and pungent nature 
 would be required." Appended to the " Patissier 
 Anglais" was " Le Cuisinier Gascon," an excel- 
 lent and valuable little work, now extremely scarce. 
 There are many admirable receipts in this little vo- 
 lume, to which Mrs. Rundell was deeply indebted. 
 She has borrowed largely from it without acknow- 
 ledgment. 
 
 " La Science du Maitre d'Hotel Cuisinier " was 
 the next published in point of chronological order. 
 This was an attempt to render cookery the handmaid 
 of medicine, and had great success. The plan, though 
 not new in the conception, for the germ of it may be 
 found in Terence, " Coquina medicine famulatrix 
 est,"* was undoubtedly so in the execution ; and the 
 associated booksellers reaped a profitable harvest. 
 
 The cookery of France at this epoch, and indeed 
 
 * " Donat. in Terent. Andr.," act. i. sc. 1.
 
 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 13 
 
 from the time of Louis XIV., was distinguished by 
 luxury and sumptuousness, but, according to Careme, 
 was wanting in " delicate sensualism." They ate well, 
 indeed, at the court, says the professor of the culinary 
 art, but the rich citizens, the men of letters, the artists, 
 " were only in the course of learning to dine, drink } 
 and laugh with convenance. Vatel, of whom so much 
 has been said," says Careme, " had only a mind 
 deeply intent on his subject, you but see in him the 
 conscientious man of duty and etiquette. His death 
 astonishes but does not melt you (sa mort frappe 
 mais ne touche pas), for he had not reached the highest 
 elevation of his art." You cannot think, you who 
 read these lines, that any one of our cooks of the pre- 
 sent day, brought up by Careme, could ever fall into 
 his faults. For whatever may happen, a cook, like a 
 commander, and, indeed, like the great masters of 
 the art, Laguipiere and Careme, " should always have 
 splendid and imposing reserves." 
 
 This dictum of Careme must be taken, like many 
 of his dishes and sauces, cum grano sails. Moliere 
 lived and wrote at this period ; and though it would 
 be unfair not to concede that he was greatly in ad- 
 vance of his age, and, like Shakspeare, seemed to be 
 universally informed, and by intuition, yet on the 
 other hand there is scarcely a better description of a 
 gourmand than is to be found in the " Bourgeois 
 Gentilhomme," act iv. sc. 1. The language of the 
 art, too, is as much superior to the jargon of profes-
 
 14 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 
 
 sional cooks, as Paques is (the pun was inevitable) to 
 Careme. But here is the passage in extenso, from 
 which all may judge : " Si Damis s'en etoit mele, 
 tout seroit dans les regies; il y auroit par-tout de 
 Felegance et de Ferudition, et il ne manqueroit pas 
 de vous exagerer lui-meme toutes les pieces du repas 
 qu'il vous donneroit, et de vous faire tomber d'accord 
 de sa haute capacite dans la science des tous morceaux ; 
 de vous parler d'un pain de rive a bizeau dore, releve 
 de croute par-tout, croquant tendrement sous la 
 dent; d'un vin a seve veloute, arme d'un vert qui 
 n'est point trop commandant ; d'un carre du mouton 
 gourmande de persil ; d'une longe de veau de riviere, 
 longue, blanche, delicate, et qui, sous les dents, est 
 une vraie pate d'amande ; de perdrix relevees, d'un 
 fumet surprenant ; et pour son opera, d'une soupe a 
 bouillon perle, soutenue d'un jeune gros dindon, can- 
 tonnee de pigeonneaux, et couronnee d'oignons blancs, 
 maries avec la chicoree."* It should also be observed 
 that St. Evremond, a man of letters as well as a sol- 
 dier and a gentleman, rendered himself celebrated even 
 in 1654, for the exquisiteness of his taste in cookery, 
 and that the coterie in which he lived were equally 
 famous for their good cheer. The dinners of the 
 Commandeur de Souvre, of the Comte d'Oloure, and 
 of the Marquis de Bois Dauphin, were celebrated for 
 equal refinement and delicacy. Lavardin, Bishop of 
 
 * " Bourgeois Gentilhomme," act iv. sc. 1.
 
 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 15 
 
 Mans, in speaking of the clique, says, " Us ne sau- 
 roient manger que du veau de riviere : il faut que 
 leurs perdrix viennent d'Auverge : que leurs lapins 
 soit de la Roche Guyon."* The same thought may 
 be found in the fifth Satire of Juvenal, though some- 
 what differently expressed. 
 
 " Mullus erit domino, quern misit Corsica, vel quern 
 TaurominitanEe rupes, quando omne peractum est, 
 Et jam deficit nostrum mare." 
 
 With the qualifying restrictions previously made, 
 it may fairly be admitted that it is not to the Grand 
 Monarque, but to the Regent Orleans, that the 
 French of the present day owe the exquisite cuisine 
 of the eighteenth century. The Pain a la a" Orleans 
 was the invention of the regent himself ; the Jilets 
 de lapereau a la Berri were invented by his aban- 
 doned daughter, the Duchess de Berri, who plunged 
 into every sensual excess, and whose motto was 
 " Courte et bonne" Her suppers were the best, and, 
 it must be added, the most profligate in Paris. 
 
 As the Duchess de Berri, the daughter of the re- 
 gent, was aourmande as well as aalante, she is deified 
 by the race of cooks and epicures, one of whom says 
 that the alimentary art owes to her fertile genius a 
 great number of receipts. Nor was she the only 
 female who distinguished herself at this era in cookery, 
 for it became a-la-mode to be the creator of a plat. 
 
 * Amsterdam, 1726.
 
 16 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 
 
 The filets de volatile a la Bellevue were invented by 
 the Marquise de Pompadour, in the chateau of Bel- 
 levue, for the petits soupers of the king. The poulets 
 a la Villeroy owe their birth to the Mareehale de 
 Luxembourg, then Duchess of Villeroy, one of the 
 most sensual " gourmandes" of the court of Louis 
 XV. The Chartreuse a la Mauconseil has been trans- 
 mitted to us by the Marquise de Mauconseil, cele- 
 brated alike by her taste and her gallantries. The 
 vol au vent a laNcsle proceeded from the fertile brain 
 of the Marquis de Nesle, who refused the peerage to 
 remain premier marquis of France, and the poularde 
 a la Montmorency was the production of the duke of 
 that name. Filets de veau a la Montgolfier, are so 
 named because they are of the shape of balloons. The 
 petites bouchees a la reine owe their origin to Maria 
 Leczinska, wife of Louis XV., whose devotions, how- 
 ever self-denying in other respects, never prevented 
 her from relishing a good dinner. All the entrees 
 bearing the name of Bayonnaises were invented by the 
 Marechal Duke de Richelieu. The perdreaux a la 
 Montylas acknowledge as their father a worthy magis- 
 trate of Montpelier, whilst the cailles a la Mirepoix 
 were imagined by the marechal of that name, who 
 in gourmandise, but in gourmandise only, rivalled the 
 Marechal de Luxembourg; and last, though not 
 least, the cotelettes a la Mamtenon were the favourite 
 dish of that frigid piece of pompous and demure 
 hypocrisy, Madame de Maintenon herself.
 
 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 17 
 
 It may be concluded, that the regency and the 
 reign of Louis XV. were among the grand epochs 
 of French cookery. The long peace which followed 
 the treaty of Utrecht, the large fortunes made by the 
 tribe of financiers, who, in ruining the state, enriched 
 themselves the tranquil and voluptuous life of a 
 monarch who gave himself more concern about his 
 personal pleasures and enjoyments than his royal 
 renown the character of the courtiers and public 
 men of the day all contributed to stamp an in- 
 tensely sensual character on the age of Louis XV. 
 A taste for English equipages and horses was now 
 introduced, and our puddings and beef-steaks were 
 also imitated. The example of the regent was re- 
 fined on and extended in this reign. The petits 
 soupers of the king were cited as models of delicacy 
 and gourmandise. The kitchen in France, as in all the 
 world over, requires " the cankers of a calm world 
 and a long peace," to sustain and support it ; while 
 the troubles of the League and the Fronde, the tem- 
 perament of Louis XIV., and the despotic and tem- 
 pestuous character of Richelieu, interfered with its 
 progress in former reigns. There were great cooks 
 as well as great captains in the reign of Louis XIV., 
 notwithstanding the disparaging remarks which 
 Careme casts on the memory of Vatel ; but a witty 
 author maintains that the only ineffaceable and im- 
 mortal reputation of that time handed down to us in 
 cookery, is that of the Marquis de Bechamel, who 
 
 c
 
 18 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 
 
 introduced into the sauce for turbot and cod fish an 
 infusion of cream. The Bechamel de turbot et de 
 cabillaud still maintain their popularity, though kings, 
 dynasties, and empires have fallen, and half the 
 globe has been revolutionized. 
 
 In the royal kitchen of Louis XVI., the art as an 
 art declined ; but the sacred fire of cookery (to use 
 the inflated language of some of the craft) was pre- 
 served in many old houses, as, for instance, in the 
 establishments of Marshals Kichelieu and Duras, the 
 Duke of La Valliere, the Marquis de Brancas, the 
 Count de Tesse, and some others, who equalled in 
 the delicacy of their tables the elegant sumptuosity 
 of the reign of Louis XV. The excesses of some 
 of the French nobility of this day would now appear 
 incredible. One hundred and twenty pheasants were, 
 at this period, weekly consumed in the kitchens of 
 the Prince de Conde ; and the Duke de Penthievre, 
 in going to preside over the estates of Burgundy, 
 was preceded by one hundred and fifty-two hommes 
 de louche ! Can any, after this, wonder at the ex- 
 cesses of the Revolution ? The unexpected death of 
 Louis XV. (says a gourmand of the succeeding 
 reign, and who survived the Revolution and the 
 Consulate) struck a mortal blow at cookery. His 
 successor, young and vigorous, ate with more vora- 
 city than delicacy, and did not pride himself on 
 (the words are untranslateable) a " grand finesse de 
 gout" an exquisite delicacy of taste in the choice
 
 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 19 
 
 of his food. Large joints of butchers' meat, and 
 dishes essentially nutritive, represented his ideas of 
 good living. His enormous appetite contented itself 
 in satisfying hunger ; learned efforts were not neces- 
 sary to stimulate its vast cravings. 
 
 The French Revolution at length broke forth, and 
 the historians of the kitchen speak with mournfulness 
 of its effect on the science, which Montaigne quaintly 
 calls Tart de la gueule. The kitchens of the fau- 
 bourg of St. Germain and the Chaussee d'Antin no 
 longer smoked, the perfumes of truffles were exhaled 
 and vanished, the great and noble of the land were 
 obliged to fly for their lives, and too often to dine 
 with Duke Humphrey, or at best to dine frugally 
 and sparingly. The financiers, who aped the luxu- 
 ries and mimicked the extravagance of the court, 
 were all ruined or denounced. The stoic's fare 
 the radish and the egg, the Jus nigrum of the severe 
 Spartans, and the black bread of the Germans of 
 the middle ages, scarcely fit food for horses, were now 
 revived. For three long years this spare Spartan 
 regime continued. Had the Goths and Vandals gone 
 on a little longer, says a witty epicure, who survived 
 the Revolution, the receipt for a fricassee of chicken 
 had been infallibly lost. The markets were no 
 longer supplied. Beef, mutton, ham, and veal, had 
 disappeared ; as to fish, it was preposterous to think 
 of it.* Not a good turbot, or salmon, or sturgeon, 
 
 * " Almanach des Gourmands," 6me annee.
 
 20 Ancient and Mediceval Cookery. 
 
 says Grimod, appeared during the ^Revolution. 
 Fowls and game had become a "sick epicure's 
 dream," not a solid reality. Nor were these mise- 
 ries confined to Paris alone. " You might go into 
 a country market," says the same author, " with a 
 ream of assignats in your hand, and not be able to 
 buy a sack of flour." A return to a gold currency 
 produced a visible alteration in the Res Cibaria. The 
 louis and five-franc pieces again peopled the markets 
 with a populace of poultry and partridges. Cooks 
 again began to talk in the language which the Italian 
 maitre d* hotel of Cardinal Caraffa addressed to the 
 pleasant and witty Montaigne, language which the 
 laughing author has imperishably recorded in those 
 inimitable volumes, which will be read and admired 
 so long as the French language and literature endure. 
 " II m'a fait un discours de cette science de gueule 
 avec une gravite et contenance magistrale, comme 
 s'il m'eust parle de quelque grand poinct de theo- 
 logie. II m'a dechiffre une difference d'appetits ; la 
 police de ses sauces ; les qualites des ingredients et 
 leurs effects, les differences des salades. Apres cela 
 il est entre sur 1'ordre de service plein de belles et 
 importantes considerations, et tout cela enfle de riches 
 et magnifiques paroles; et celles memes qu'on employe 
 A traiter du gouvernement d'un empire." 
 
 The oxen of Auvergne and Normandy were now 
 again marched slowly and gravely up from the pro- 
 vinces to be slaughtered in Paris. The sheep of
 
 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 2 1 
 
 Beauvais, of Cotentin and the Ardennes, were again, 
 as under the old regime, cut up into cutlets, and the 
 cooks soon appeared. Instead of serving as chefs de 
 cuisine, butlers, intendants, and maltres d'hutel, they 
 now were called citoyens, pensionnaires, and rentiers ; 
 for there were no grands seigneurs to employ them. 
 For a while there was some inconvenience, but a 
 Frenchman sooner accommodates himself to circum- 
 stances than any other human being, and such of 
 the cuisiniers as had saved somewhat from the ship- 
 wreck of the Revolution formed eating-houses, 
 taverns, and restaurants. These establishments have 
 since become the temples of good cheer and gour- 
 mand ise, in which wandering Englishmen spend and 
 have spent millions upon millions of money ; but it 
 is an historical fact known to few, that the greater 
 number of these restaurants owe their origin to the 
 Revolution.* 
 
 The complete overthrow of the French kitchen, 
 the work of three centuries, might have been 
 
 * Previous to 1789, says the " Almanach des Gourmands," 
 torn, i, p. 162, there were not one hundred restaurateurs in Paris. 
 Now (in 1803) there are five times as many. Speaking at 
 random and without book, there are at present 4000 or 5000, 
 great and small. The author of the " Almanach des Gour- 
 mands" falls into the strange mistake of attributing the in- 
 crease of restaurateurs to an Anglomania. " It is well known," 
 says he, " that the English almost always dine at a tavern." 
 What inconceivable ignorance !
 
 22 Ancient and Medi&val Cookery. 
 
 effected at this season, had not its traditions been 
 preserved. Happily there were Acolytes and Neo- 
 phytes sufficient in existence, says one of the histo- 
 rians, to catch and perpetuate the scientific savour of 
 the ancient " flesh pots." In such a loss as this, 
 weightier interests had been imperilled than mere 
 cookery. More than half the intelligence, and nearly 
 all of the French agreeability of the past age, had 
 been in a great degree promoted by the French 
 cuisine. The cook of the Condes and the Soubises 
 contributed in no mean degree to give a zest and a 
 vivacity to the dinners at which Montesquieu, Vol- 
 taire, Diderot, Helvetius, D'Alembert, Duclos, and 
 Vauvenargues so often met ; and this remark applies, 
 in a great degree, to the suppers of Madame du 
 Deffand, the dinners of the Baron D'Holbach, and 
 the dinners, suppers, and pic-nics of the agreeable 
 Crawford of Auchinames, whose " Tableau of 
 French Literature" is not sufficiently known nor 
 read in our day. It was at these social reunions that 
 French conversation, then indeed a style parle 
 became animated and improved by the exquisite 
 cheer which the "cunning hand" of the cook pro- 
 vided. A few hours of delightful, easy, unrestrained 
 conversation between polite and well-informed men, 
 did more to advance the progress of the human mind 
 than the labours of a wilderness of speculative book- 
 making academies. The solution of many great and 
 grave questions the propagation of new and en-
 
 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 23 
 
 larged views, the production of ingenious essays and 
 instructive memoirs, are all owing to that elegant 
 and agreeable body of men and women, kept toge- 
 ther in a main degree by the exquisite attraction of 
 petits soupers and luxurious dinners. 
 
 From the moment of the Executive Directory, 
 1795, to the period of the 18th Brumaire, all the 
 historians among the great cooks admit that their 
 illustrious art was under the greatest obligations to 
 Barras, that well-born tribune of the people, of 
 whose family it was said, " noble comme les Barras, 
 aussi anciens que les rochers de Provence." Whether 
 as Commissary of the government at Toulon at 
 whose siege, by the way, he first became acquainted 
 with Bonaparte or as Director, or as residing as a 
 private gentleman at his chateau of Grosbois, Barras 
 always exhibited those epicurean tastes which were 
 either natural to him, or which he had acquired from 
 a residence at the French settlement of Pondicherry. 
 
 During the most ferocious periods of the Revolu- 
 tion, there were but two splendid exceptions to the 
 Belf-denying ordinances of the time. That desperate 
 demagogue Danton loved and copiously indulged 
 himself in morels, and is recorded to have given 
 dinners at 400 francs a head ; and Barras, when in 
 the Directory, had his button mushrooms conveyed 
 to him en poste from the Bouches du Rhone. 
 
 Napoleon, who may be said to have succeeded to 
 power at the epoch of the 18th Brumaire, is falsely
 
 24 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 
 
 represented as an enemy of the pleasures of the table. 
 It is true, a love of good cheer was not a dominant 
 passion with him ; he did not exhibit the crapulous 
 gluttony of an over-fed sensualist, but he was not 
 insensible to the pleasures of good eating. M. de 
 Bausset,* the prefect of the Imperial palace, has 
 handed down in his most interesting work some of 
 the Emperor's ordinary bills of fare. They are dis- 
 tinguished by simplicity and moderation, but there 
 is also a pervading suitableness and taste very signi- 
 ficant of the man, and of the nation over which he 
 " reigned and governed." 
 
 M. de Cussy, also attached to the kitchen and 
 household of the Emperor, and who obtained from 
 his patron, or assumed, the title of Marquis de Cussy, 
 has also left us interesting details on the sub- 
 ject. One day at breakfast, says he (this was some 
 time after his marriage), Napoleon, after having 
 eaten, with his habitual haste, a wing of a chicken 
 a la Tartare, turned towards M. de Cussy (who 
 was always present at the Emperor's meals), and the 
 following dialogue took place between them : " The 
 deuce ! I have always hitherto found chicken-meat 
 flat and insipid, but this is excellent." " Sire, if your 
 
 * " Memoires Anecdotiques sur I'interieur du Palais, et sur 
 quelques Evenemens de 1'Empire, depuis 1805 jusqu'au 1 Mai 
 1814, pour servir a 1'Histoire de Napoleon," par L. F. J. De 
 Bausset, ancien Prefet du Palais Imperial.
 
 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 25 
 
 Majesty would permit, I would desire to have the 
 honour of serving a fowl every day in a different 
 fashion." "What! M. de Cussy, you are then 
 master of 365 different ways of dressing fowl?" 
 " Yes, Sire, and perhaps your Majesty, after a trial, 
 would take a pleasure a la science gastronomique. 
 All great men have encouraged that science, and, 
 without citing to your Majesty the example of the 
 great Frederick, who had a special cook for each 
 favourite dish, I might invoke, in support of my 
 assertion, all the great names immortalized by 
 glory." "Well, then, M. de Cussy," replied the 
 Emperor, " we shall put your abilities to the 
 test." The case might be left to a jury of gourmands 
 on this evidence, and the Emperor would be con- 
 victed, if not of gourmandise, at least of friandises. 
 Who will, however, deny the gourmandise of his 
 arch-chancellor, Cambaceres, or of his minister of 
 foreign affairs, Talleyrand ? " The first clouds of 
 smoke (says Ude) which announced the resurrection 
 of cookery, appeared from the kitchen of a quondam 
 bishop. Napoleon himself was in the habit of say- 
 ing that more fortunate treaties, more happy arrange- 
 ments and reconciliations were due to the cook of 
 Cambaceres than to the crowds of diplomatic nonen- 
 tities who thronged the ante-chambers of the Tuile- 
 ries. On one occasion the town of Geneva sent to 
 the arch-chancellor a monster trout, together with 
 the sauce, the expense of which was verified by the
 
 26 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 
 
 Cour des Comptes as amounting to 6000 francs, or 
 2401. of our money. 
 
 A rare epoch in the history of cookery was the 
 publication of the first number of the " Almanach 
 des Gourmands," which appeared in the beginning 
 of the year 1803, and which the late Duke of York 
 called the most delightful book that was ever printed. 
 The sale of this work was prodigious. 22,000 copies of 
 the four first years were speedily disposed of, and the 
 work subsequently went through new editions. As 
 the book is very scarce everywhere, and not to be 
 found in England, I may be pardoned for dwelling 
 on it. Gastronomy became the fashion of that day. 
 Every one spoke on the subject ; many wrote on it. 
 Cookery passed from the kitchen to the shop, from 
 the shop to the counting-house, from the counting- 
 house to the studies of lawyers and physicians ; thence 
 to the salons and cabinets of ladies and statesmen. 
 The object of life, according, at least, to our simple 
 English notions, seemed reversed : people in Eng- 
 land eat to live; in France, they appeared to live only 
 to eat. This was in consonance with French cha- 
 racter and practice. 
 
 To return, however, to the " Almanach des Gour- 
 mands." Each volume contained an almanac for the 
 year in which it was published, and a species of nu- 
 tritive itinerary of the different traiteurs, rotisseurs, 
 restaurateurs, porkmen, poulterers, butchers, bakers, 
 provision, sauce, and spice shops, milkmen, oilmen,
 
 Ancient and Medi&val Cookery. 27 
 
 &c. Nor were the cafes, limonadiers, glaciers, nor 
 wine and liqueur merchants neglected ; for ample and 
 amusing accounts of almost all the principal magasins 
 de comestibles are given. The volumes are generally 
 written in a playful, humorous style, and occasion- 
 ally indicate originality and research. The first four 
 numbers are by far the best, though there are passages 
 in the seventh, eighth, and ninth equal to anything 
 which appeared in the preceding numbers. The au- 
 thor and editor was Grimod de la Reyniere. His 
 father, a fermier general was choked, in 1754, by 
 attempting to swallow rather too voraciously a slice 
 of a pate defoies or as. The son inherited the here- 
 ditary passion for the pleasures of the table, joined 
 to a sprightly yet quaint humour, which rendered 
 him a general favourite. It must be admitted, that 
 while he inspired a taste for cookery, he ennobled its 
 language. 
 
 As a specimen of his manner, take a short extract 
 from the second volume, under the head of the health 
 of cooks. " The finger of a good cook should alternate 
 perpetually between the stewpan and his mouth, and 
 it is only thus in tasting every moment his ragouts, 
 that he can hit upon the precise medium. His palate 
 should therefore have an extreme delicacy, and be in 
 some sort virgin, in order that the slightest trifle may 
 stimulate it, and thus forewarn him of its faults. 
 But the continual odour of ovens the necessity 
 under which a cook lies to drink often, and some-
 
 28 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 
 
 times of bad wine, the vapour of charcoal, the accu- 
 mulation of bile, and many other things, each and all 
 contribute to interfere with his organs of sense, and 
 most quickly to derange and alter his sense of taste. 
 His palate becomes indurated; he has no longer that 
 tact, that finesse, that exquisite sensibility, on which 
 depends susceptibility of taste. His palate at length 
 becomes case-hardened. The only means of restoring 
 to him that flower which he has lost (cette fleur qu'il 
 a perdue), and recruiting his strength, his suppleness, 
 and his delicatesse, is to purge him, despite of any 
 resistance he may be induced to make ; for there are 
 cooks deaf to the voice of glory, who see no need to 
 take physic when they are in health. Oh, ye then 
 who wish to enjoy at your daily board delicate and 
 recherche fare, cause your cooks to be purged fre- 
 quently (faites purger souvent vos cuisiniers), for 
 there is no other means to accomplish your wishes." 
 
 In another volume, published in 1806, the author 
 says that in Riom, in Auvergne, there was an inn- 
 keeper named Simon, who had a special talent for 
 dressing frogs. The process of feeding and dressing 
 them is given in detail, admirably and graphically 
 told, but at far too great a length to extract. " What 
 proves the goodness of the dish, and the impossibility 
 of counterfeiting it," says Grimod, "is, that the author 
 has gained 200,000 francs at this art, though he gives 
 you for 24 sous a dish containing three dozen of frogs." 
 
 The three " Freres Provenceaux," we learn in the
 
 Ancient and Mediaval Cookery. 29 
 
 same volume, were even thus early renowned for Pro- 
 ven9al ragouts, and, above all, for their Brandades 
 de Merluche ; and the veal of Pontoise was then, as 
 now, fed on cream and biscuits, and carried to Paris 
 in carriages made expressly for the purpose. It is in 
 this year's almanac also that the author speaks of the 
 death of a celebrated gourmand and friend of his, Doc- 
 tor Gastaldy, physician to the late Duke of Cumber- 
 land. The last dinner which he partook of was on 
 Wednesday, the 20th December, at Cardinal Belloy's, 
 Archbishop of Paris, where, having eaten three times 
 of the belly part of the salmon, he died of the effects 
 of this invincible gluttony. The doctor would have 
 gone to the salmon a fourth time, but that the pre- 
 late " tenderly upbraided him for his imprudence, and 
 ordered the desired dish to be removed " (le reprit ten- 
 drement de son imprudence, et fit enlever ce sujet de 
 convoitise). But alas, it was too late the gulosity 
 of Gastaldy caused his death, and he was hastily 
 buried the day after his demise. Let this be a 
 warning to priests in high places, whether Protestant, 
 Popish, or Presbyterian, as to helping their guests 
 too often to the richest part of a salmon. 
 
 In one of the volumes there is a long chapter on 
 the opening of oysters, from which the concluding 
 portion is extracted. 
 
 " It is not until the oyster is detached from the 
 under shell that it ceases to live. The real lovers of 
 oysters (such, for example, as the late M. Grimod de
 
 30 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 
 
 Verneuil), won't allow the oyster- women to open their 
 fish, reserving to themselves the important privilege 
 of performing this operation on their own plate, in 
 order that they may have the pleasure of swallowing 
 this interesting fish alive." 
 
 It is in this volume that the important secret 
 is disclosed that the flesh of beasts, fowls, and game 
 killed by electricity, is much more tender than if 
 killed in the usual manner. " The discoverer of this 
 important truth," says Grimod, " was a Dr. Beyer, 
 of the Rue de Clichy, who deserves to be ranked 
 with the Rechaud, the Morillon, and the Robert, who 
 had so worthily illustrated the culinary art, towards 
 the end of the last century; and who, like the Raphaels, 
 the Michael Angelos, and the Rubens, have been the 
 founders of the three great schools of good living." 
 
 Here also is a dissertation on asses' flesh, wherein 
 the author states that, during the blockade of Malta 
 by the English and Neapolitans, the inhabitants, 
 having had recourse to horseflesh, dogflesh, cats, 
 rats, &c., at length tried asses' flesh, and found it so 
 excellent, that the gourmands of Valetta preferred 
 this strange diet to the best beef and veal. When an 
 ass was killed, there was great competition for the 
 prime bits. " Your ass," says Isouard, father of the 
 musical composer of that name, "should not be more 
 than three or four years old, and fat." 
 
 There is also an account of a seasoning used by the 
 gourmands of Terra Nova, a small town situated on
 
 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 31 
 
 the southern coast of Sicily, between Gergali and 
 Scoglietti, on the sea-shore. This is a white grease, 
 extracted from the fig-pecker, much sought after by 
 the gourmands of Sicily and Naples. At Malta all 
 respectable families use it in lieu of oil and butter. 
 An immense number of birds, taken in nets, are ne- 
 cessary to produce so much grease. When killed 
 they are thrown, in immense heaps, into an enormous 
 oven, and the fat is thus melted out. It is bottled, 
 and the carcases of the birds thrown away. 
 
 The " Manuel des Amphytrions," by the author 
 of the almanac, is as curious and amusing, and a more 
 succinct work than the " Almanach des Gourmands." 
 
 The first work of any note, published in 1814, 
 after the Restoration, was that of Beauvilliers. The 
 author had been cook to the Count de Provence (Louis 
 XVIII.), but at this period followed the business of 
 a restaurateur in the Rue de Richelieu. Any eulo- 
 gium on such a work would be supererogatory. The 
 artist, who had been many years cook to the inventor 
 of the soupe a la Xavier, that consummate and 
 gouty gourmand, Louis XVIII., and who had often 
 served and satisfied the Count d'Artois, afterwards 
 Charles X., the inventor of the ris de veau a la 
 d'Artois, must have been a cook of surpassing merit. 
 
 The "Physiologic du Gout" appeared in 1828. 
 The author was M. Brillat Savarin, Conseillier en 
 la Cour de Cassation. He had been bred to the bar, 
 and was already in practice when the Revolution broke
 
 32 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 
 
 out. By the suffrages of his townsmen he was sent 
 as a deputy to the Constituent Assembly. But in 
 1793, having resisted the progress of anarchy, he was 
 forced to emigrate. He embarked for the United 
 States, and established himself at New York, where 
 he remained for two years, giving lessons in the 
 French language, and filling nightly one of the first 
 places in the orchestra of the theatre; for, among his 
 other accomplishments, he was distinguished as a 
 musician. During the Directory he returned, and the 
 last twenty-five years of his life were spent in the 
 Court of Cassation. It was in the leisure which this 
 honourable retreat afforded him that he composed this 
 work. It is, however, more a scientific essay, or a 
 book of aphorisms, in the short and sententious style 
 of the ancients, than a practical work on cookery. 
 
 Some of the statistics of this book are curious. It 
 appears that, from the 1st of November to the end of 
 February, there is a daily consumption of 300 tur- 
 keys, making, in all, but 36,000 turkeys. The work 
 also contains a number of witty and curious anec- 
 dotes, from which I venture to extract one. 
 
 "M. de Sanzai, Archbishop of Bordeaux, w r as an 
 agreeable man and a respected prelate. He had won 
 from one of his grand vicars a truffled turkey, which 
 the loser seemed in no haste to pay. Towards the 
 close of the carnival, the archbishop reminded his 
 subordinate of the lost wager. " Monseiffneur," 
 
 o o y 
 
 said the vicar, " the truffles are good for nothing
 
 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 33 
 
 this year." "Bah, bah!" replied the archbishop, 
 " that's a report spread by the turkeys," (c'est un 
 bruit que les dindons font courir). 
 
 Avast number of editions of the " Cuisiniere Bour- 
 geoise " have appeared both in France and Switzer- 
 land, and, to speak truly, there is no more useful work. 
 A greater number of copies have been sold, for the last 
 seventy years, than even of the " Fables " of La Fon- 
 taine. The receipts are by no means expensive, and 
 there is no better cookery for the middle classes of 
 all countries. Even in England the dishes might be 
 adopted among the better classes, occasionally abridg- 
 ing any undue portion of garlic or onion. This work 
 was pirated at Neufchatel, in 1798, by the celebrated 
 Fauche Borel, employed in many delicate negoti- 
 ations by the emigrants, and he made a large sum by 
 the piracy. 
 
 The " Cuisinier Royal," published byBarba, is also 
 a good work. It is of a more ostentatious character 
 than the " Cuisiniere Bourgeoise," but the receipts are 
 very numerous and varied, and there are no learned 
 disquisitions on the art, which many would consider 
 an advantage. 
 
 I have now gone through the chief culinary works 
 of France, and it remains for me to speak of English 
 cookery and cookery books. And first of the former. 
 The traditions of English cookery are faint, few, and 
 far between. In the earlier comedies there are few 
 allusions to the art, and even in Shakespeare himself, 
 
 D
 
 34 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 
 
 though we find mention of barley-broth, of calf's 
 head and capon, of collops, cod's head, soused gurnet, 
 and salmon tail, of roasted pig and rashers, of beef 
 and mustard, and " thick Tewkesbury mustard," of 
 hot venison pasty and hodge pudding, and lastly (in 
 ridicule of foreign cookery), of " adders' heads and 
 toads carbonadoed;" yet still from these names no 
 other inference can be drawn than that such dishes 
 were in vogue. From the reign of Elizabeth to the 
 Revolution, the style of cookery was undoubtedly 
 heavy and substantial. Chines of beef and pork 
 smoked on the early dinner tables, and the remains 
 were eaten cold, and washed down with foaming 
 tankards of ale on the following morning. 
 
 The age of Anne was distinguished by an extraor- 
 dinary burst of intellectual vigour and great progress 
 in the culinary art. Though the comedies of Con- 
 greve, Wycherly, and Vanbrugh, are fair specimens 
 of the society of that day, still they throw little light 
 on the social habits of the people. From the manner 
 in which Lady Wishfort drinks, in the " Way of the 
 World," and the exhibition of Sir Wilful Witwold's 
 drunkenness, in the same piece, one would infer that 
 immoderate inebriety was the characteristic of the 
 time. Valentine, in " Love for Love," calls for a 
 bottle of sack and a toast ; and Careless, in " The 
 Double Dealer," exclaims " I'm weary of guzzling." 
 The pages of Pope throw an important light on the 
 cookery of his time. His imitation of the second satire
 
 Ancient and Medicsval Cookery. 35 
 
 of the second book of Horace has a value which cannot 
 always be affixed to his more important pieces. A 
 light is not only thrown on the personal habits of the 
 man, but on the social characteristics of the epoch. 
 
 " Preach as I please, I doubt our curious men 
 Will choose a pheasant still before a hen ; 
 Yet hens of Guinea full as good I hold, 
 Except you eat the feathers green and gold. 
 Of carps and mullets why prefer the great, 
 Though cut in pieces as my lord can eat ; 
 Yet for small turbots such esteem profess, 
 Because God made these large, the other less. 
 Oldfield, with more than harpy throat endued, 
 Cries, send me, gods ! a whole hog barbecued !" 
 
 The hog barbacued is a West India term of glut- 
 tony. It was a hog roasted whole, stuffed with spice 
 and basted with Madeira wine. Allusion is made to 
 this dish in Foote's " Patron," where Sir Peter Pep- 
 perpot says, " I am invited to dinner on a barbacue, 
 and the villains have forgot my bottle of chian." 
 
 It is plain from every line of these imitations of 
 Pope, that the science of cookery had made great 
 strides in the reign of Anne, nor is this to be wondered 
 at. " La Heine Anne," says a French author, " etait 
 tres gourmande ; elle ne dedaignait pas de s'entretenir 
 avec son cuisinier, et les dispensaires Anglais contien- 
 ncnt beaucoup de preparations designees a la maniere 
 de la Heine Anne." The following glimpse at the 
 table of the poet himself has an attractive interest :
 
 36 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 
 
 " Content with little I can piddle here 
 
 On brocoli and mutton round the year ; 
 
 But ancient friends, tho' poor, or out of play, 
 
 That touch my bell, I cannot turn away. 
 
 Tis true, no turbots dignify my boards, 
 
 But gudgeons, flounders, what my Thames affords : 
 
 To Hounslow Heath I point, and Bansted-Down, 
 
 Thence comes your mutton, and these chicks my own. 
 
 From yon old walnut-tree a shower shall fall ; 
 
 And grapes, long lingering on my only wall ; 
 
 And figs from standard and espalier join ; 
 
 The devil is in you if you cannot dine." 
 
 The bill of fare at this time often consisted in the 
 month of April of the following : green geese, or veal 
 and bacon haunch of venison roasted a lumber 
 pie rabbits and tarts. Second course : cold lamb 
 cold neat's-tongue pie salmon, lobsters, and prawns 
 asparagus. 
 
 But in other months the following dishes were 
 given brawn and mustard, hashed shoulder of mut- 
 ton, broiled geese, minced pies, a loin of veal, marrow 
 pie, venison pasty, a lambstone pie, Westphalia bacon, 
 a Westphalia ham, artichoke pie, neat's-tongue, and 
 udder roasted, a roast turkey stuck with cloves, and 
 for a second course, Bologna sausages, anchovies, 
 mushrooms, caviare, and pickled oysters, in a dish 
 together. 
 
 And now a word as to English cookery books. 
 The " Queen's Closet Opened," published in 1662, 
 is the first English cookery book I have been able
 
 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 37 
 
 to meet with, for the " Treasure of Hidden Secrets, 
 or Good Huswife's Closet," published in 1600, is but 
 a congeries of receipts for perfumes, essences, and 
 candies. Some of the dishes in the " Queen's Closet," 
 maintain their popularity to the present day, as, 
 for instance, chicken and pigeon pie, boiled rump of 
 beef, and potted venison; but others have wholly 
 passed away, as, for example, a baked red deer, a 
 capon larded with lemons, a steak pie with a French 
 pudding in it, a fricase (we retain the spelling) of 
 campigneons, a salet of smelts, flounders, or plaice, 
 with garlick and mustard, an olive pie, and dressed 
 snails. 
 
 The " Gentleman's Companion," published in 1673, 
 is the earliest work of the kind met with after the 
 " Queen's Closet," for " May's Cookery," " The 
 Ladies' Companion," or even " Mrs. Glasse," written 
 by Dr. Hill, and which has become exceedingly scarce, 
 I do not possess. To what a civilized and social state 
 our gentlewomen had attained 171 years ago, will 
 be apparent from the following extract from Mrs. 
 Woolley. 
 
 Some choice observations for a gentlewoman's be- 
 haviour at table. " Gentlewoman, the first thing you 
 are to observe, is to keep your body straight in the 
 chair, and do not lean your elbows on the table. 
 Discover not by any ravenous gesture your angry ap- 
 petite, nor fix your eyes too greedily on the meat be- 
 fore you, as if you would devour more that way than
 
 38 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 
 
 your throat can swallow. In carving at your own 
 table, distribute the best pieces first, and it will ap- 
 pear very comely and decent to use a fork, if so, 
 touch no piece of meat without it. 
 
 " I have been invited to dinner, where I have seen 
 the good gentlewoman of the house sweat more in 
 cutting up a fowl, than the cookmaid in roasting it, 
 and when she had soundly beliquored her joints, hath 
 smelt her knuckles, and to work with them again in 
 the dish ; at the sight whereof my belly hath been 
 three-quarters full, before I had swallowed one 
 bit!" Page 65. 
 
 " Do not eat spoon-meat so hot, that the tears 
 stand in your eyes, or that thereby you betray your 
 intolerable greediness. Do not bite your bread, but 
 cut or break it, and keep not your knife always in 
 your hand, for that is as unseemly as a gentlewoman 
 who pretended to have as little a stomach as she had 
 a mouth, and therefore would not swallow her peas 
 in spoonfuls, but took them one by one, and cut them 
 in two before she would eat them. 
 
 " Fill not your mouth so full that your cheeks 
 shall swell like a pair of Scotch bag-pipes." Page 7 1. 
 
 Many remarks are made by our countrymen and 
 women about the filth of the French, but English- 
 men should read the following, written about a cen- 
 tury and a half ago, for the guidance of their own 
 countrywomen. 
 
 " It is uncivil to rub your teeth in company, or to
 
 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 39 
 
 pick them at or after meals, with your knife or 
 otherwise, for it is a thing both indecent and dis- 
 tasteful." Page 72. 
 
 The following is the advice ll to the female younger 
 sort." 
 
 " You will show yourself too saucy by calling for 
 sauce or any dainty thing. Avoid smacking in your 
 eating. Forbear putting both hands to your mouth 
 at once ; nor gnaw your meat, but cut it handsomely, 
 and eat sparingly. Let your nose and hands be al- 
 ways kept clean. When you have dined or supped, 
 rise from the table, and carry your trencher or plate 
 with you, doing your obeisance to the company." 
 -Pp. 19, 20. 
 
 Some insight into the cookery of 1754, maybe ob- 
 tained from the pages of the " Connoisseur." The 
 fools of quality of that day " drove to the Star and 
 Garter to regale on macaroni, or piddle with an or- 
 tolan at White's or Pontac's." At Dolly's and Hors- 
 man's beef steaks were eaten with gill ale ; and be- 
 hind the Change, a man worth a plum used to order 
 a twopenny mess of broth with a boiled chop in it ; 
 placing the chop between the two crusts of a half- 
 penny roll, he would wrap it up in his check hand- 
 kerchief, and carry it away for the morrow's dinner. 
 
 The " Art of Cookery," by a Lady, was published 
 by Miller, Tonson, and Strahan, in 1765. There 
 are many good receipts in the work, and it is written 
 in a plain style. The author sensibly says in her pre-
 
 40 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 
 
 face, " The great cooks have such a high way of ex- 
 pressing themselves, that the poor girls are at a loss 
 to know what they mean." This book has one great 
 fault, it is disfigured by a strong anti-Gallican pre- 
 judice. 
 
 An attempt was made by Longman and Co. to start 
 a sort of " English Almanach des Gourmands," in 
 1815, but it was a complete failure. It was called 
 the " Epicure's Almanack." Only one number was 
 published. 
 
 The " Cook and Confectioner's Dictionary," which 
 appeared in 1747, contains a vast deal of curious west 
 country and Cornish cookery. It is a rare book, and 
 was obligingly lent to me by Mr. Cyrus Redding, 
 who deserves the gratitude of all for his intrepid and 
 successful attempts to introduce a pure sherry at the 
 English tables. 
 
 Mrs. Dalgairns' is one of the best of cookery books 
 for persons in the upper class of life not overburdened 
 with wealth. It ought to be an invaluable book to 
 the middle classes. Sir Walter Scott contributed 
 largely to this work. The only fault with which the 
 worthy old lady may be reproached is, that she is 
 somewhat over national and exhibits too palpable an 
 addiction to Scotch dishes. This is a prevailing pec- 
 cadillo if not the heinous fault of all Picts, old or 
 young, male or female. 
 
 " Scott's Dictionary of Cookery," is a pretentious 
 failure, published in 1828 by Colburn. The author
 
 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 41 
 
 was a Scotch doctor, practising at some small conti- 
 nental town. The work seems to have been got up 
 with the view of rivalling Mrs. Rundell's publication. 
 
 The " Cook's Oracle," by Dr. Kitchener, was first 
 published in 1817. It had great success, but never did 
 a book less deserve renown. Totally destitute of ar- 
 rangement and originality, it is an odd confused olla 
 podrida of receipts, observations, maxims, and remarks, 
 drawn from all sources, ancient and modern, foreign 
 as well as domestic. It is written in a vain-glorious, 
 assuming style, and filled with gasconading vulgarisms 
 and obsolete pedantry. The attempts at wit are lu- 
 dicrously heavy and unsuccessful. It is a reproach to 
 the national taste to have patronized a book of no theo- 
 retical, and of little practical worth. 
 
 The greater part of these observations also apply to 
 that exceedingly indigested posthumous book of scraps 
 and patches, called the " Housekeeper's Oracle," pub- 
 lished in 1829. 
 
 The "French Cook," by Tide, " officier de la 
 bouche," first to the Earl of Sefton, and afterwards 
 to Crockford's Club, has gone through many editions. 
 It contains a disquisition on the rise and progress of 
 cookery, which is not without merit ; but the greater 
 portion of it is taken from the " Cuisinier des Cuisi- 
 niers." The partiality of our countrymen for melted 
 butter in a variety of shapes is happily hit off, and is 
 about as reasonable, in point of taste, as the antipathy 
 of that choleric Frenchman, who exclaimed, " Je de-
 
 42 Ancient and Mediaval Cookery. 
 
 teste ces vilains Anglais, parcequ'ils versent du beurre 
 fondu sur leur veau roti." 
 
 The work of Ude is intended for the higher ranks, 
 and for people of fortune. The book and the cook 
 have been a little overrated. It is neither French nor 
 English neither fish, flesh, nor good red herring. 
 The late Lord Sefton, who was too much of a mere 
 glutton, would have perverted the taste of any cook, 
 however good, who had been long in his service. 
 
 There is not a more amusing and racy volume than 
 the " Original," by Mr. Walker, formerly of Trinity 
 College, Cambridge, and afterwards a police magis- 
 trate. Although several extracts have been already 
 made from the book in the " Quarterly Review," the 
 following may be reproduced with advantage : 
 
 " To order dinner is a matter of invention and 
 combination. It involves novelty, simplicity, and 
 taste ; whereas, in the generality of dinners, there is 
 no character but that of dull routine, according to the 
 season. 
 
 " Any body can dine, but very few know how to 
 dine, so as to ensure the greatest quantity of health 
 and enjoyment indeed, many people contrive to de- 
 stroy their health; and as to enjoyment, I shudder 
 when I think how often I have been doomed to only 
 a solemn mockery of it, how often I have sat in du- 
 rance stately, to go through the ceremony of a dinner, 
 the essence of which is to be without ceremony, and 
 how often in this land of liberty have I felt myself a 
 slave.
 
 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 43 
 
 " There are three kinds of dinners solitary din- 
 ners, every day social dinners, and set dinners. All 
 these involving the consideration of cheer, and the 
 last two of society also. Solitary dinners, I think, 
 ought to be avoided as much as possible, because soli- 
 tude tends to produce thought, and thought tends to 
 the suspension of the digestive powers. When, how- 
 ever, dining alone is necessary, the mind should be 
 disposed to cheerfulness by a previous interval of re- 
 laxation. As contentment ought to be an accom- 
 paniment to every meal, punctuality is essential, and 
 the diner and the dinner ought to be ready at the 
 same time. A chief maxim in dining with comfort, 
 is to have whatever you want when you want it. It 
 is ruinous to have to wait just for one thing, and then 
 another, and to have the little additions brought, when 
 what they belong to is half or entirely finished. To 
 avoid this, a little oversight is good, and, by way of 
 instance, it is sound practical philosophy to have 
 mustard upon the table before the arrival of toasted 
 cheese. This very omission has caused as many small 
 vexations in the world as would, by this time, make 
 a mountain of misery. Indeed, I recommend an ha- 
 bitual consideration of what adjuncts will be required 
 to the main matters ; and I think an attention to this, 
 on the part of females, might often be preventive of 
 sour looks and cross words, and their anti-conjugal 
 consequences. There is not only the usual adjuncts, 
 but to those who have anything like genius for din-
 
 44 Ancient and Mediceval Cookery. 
 
 ners, little additions will sometimes suggest them- 
 selves, which give a sort of poetry to a repast, and 
 please the palate to the promotion of health. 
 
 " The present system of dinner giving I consider 
 thoroughly tainted with barbarism and vulgarity, and 
 far removed from real and refined enjoyment. As 
 tables are now arranged, one is never at peace from 
 an arm continually setting on or taking off a side 
 dish, or reaching over to a wine cooler in the centre ; 
 then comes the more laborious changing of courses, 
 with the leanings right and left, to admit a host of 
 dishes, that are set on only to be taken off again, 
 after being declined in succession by each of the 
 guests, to whom they are handed round ; yet this is 
 fashion, and not to be departed from. With respect 
 to wine, it is often offered when not wanted, and 
 when wanted, is perhaps not to be had till long waited 
 for. It is dreary to observe two persons, glass in hand, 
 waiting the butler's leisure to be able to take wine 
 together, and then, perchance, being helped in despair 
 to what they did not ask for ; and it is still more 
 dreary to be one of the two yourself. How different 
 when you can put your hand upon a decanter the 
 moment you want it ! I have been speaking hitherto 
 of attendance in its most perfect state ; but then 
 comes the greater inconvenience, and the monstrous 
 absurdity, of the same forms with inadequate esta- 
 blishments. Those who are overwhelmed with an 
 establishment, are, as it were, obliged in self-defence
 
 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 45 
 
 to devise work for their attendants, whilst those who 
 have no such reason ape an example which, under 
 the most appropriate circumstances, is a state of re- 
 straint and discomfort, but which, when followed 
 merely for fashion's sake, becomes absolutely into- 
 lerable. I remember once receiving a severe frown 
 from a lady at the head of her table, next to whom I 
 was sitting, because I offered to take some fish from 
 her, to which she had helped me, instead of waiting 
 till it could be handed me by her one servant ; and 
 she was not deficient either in good breeding or sense. 
 It is one of the evils of the present day, that every 
 body strives after the same dull style, so that, when 
 comfort might be expected, it is often least to be 
 found. State, without the machinery of state, is of 
 all states the worst. In conclusion of this part of my 
 subject, I will observe that I think the affluent would 
 render themselves and their country an essential ser- 
 vice, if they were to fall into the simple, refined style 
 of living, discarding everything incompatible with 
 real enjoyment, and I believe that, if the history of 
 overgrown luxury were traced, it has always had its 
 origin from the vulgar rich the very last class 
 worthy of imitation." 
 
 The 243rd Thousand of " Domestic Cookery, by a 
 Lady," has been published in the present year. This 
 is perhaps the most popular and practical work of the 
 kind which has ever appeared in England, but it is 
 exclusively a middle-class book, and intended for the
 
 46 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 
 
 rich bourgeoisie. The compiler, Mrs. Rundell, had 
 spent the early part of her life in India, and the work 
 is enriched with many receipts of Indian cookery. It 
 is on the whole a succinct and judicious compilation, 
 but though well worth its price, it is yet far from 
 being a perfect production. For many years, if re- 
 port speaks truly, it has produced 10007. a year to 
 the publisher, and he is said to have very liberally 
 presented the authoress with a present of 2000Z. 
 
 I have not hitherto spoken of the " Cookery Book 
 of Careme," nor did I notice it among the French 
 works on cookery, for two reasons : first, because Ca- 
 reme had been cook to George IV. ; to the Marquis of 
 Wellesley, and to the Marquis of Londonderry ; and 
 had spent a considerable portion of his life in England, 
 or in the service of Englishmen ; and, secondly, because 
 the book has been translated by Mr. Hall, " cook to T. 
 P. Williams, Esq., of Temple House, near Marlow, 
 and conductor of the parliamentary dinners of Lord 
 Canterbury." The translation is very clumsily and 
 sometimes incorrectly executed, but as the translator 
 is himself a cook and a conductor of dinners ! (the 
 office seems to us new and original) it will be more 
 convenient to take his version of the original. Mr. 
 
 O 
 
 Hall has at least one requisite for his task, namely, 
 admiration of his author. "I conceive (says he in 
 his preface) I am laying before my readers the pro- 
 ductions of a man whose abilities transcended the 
 generality of writers in the art, whose imagination
 
 Ancient and Medi&val Cookery. 47 
 
 greatly enlarged the variety of entrees and entremets 
 previously practised, and whose clear and perspicuous 
 details render them facile not only to the artist who 
 has already an advance in his profession, but also to 
 those whose knowledge of the higher code of the 
 kitchen has been necessarily limited." The following 
 are Careme's notions on large dishes of fish, not ren- 
 dered certainly into very pure and undefiled English 
 by Mr. Hall. The sense and substance of the author 
 are however preserved : 
 
 " OF LARGE DISHES OF FISH. 
 
 " I had remarked," says M. Careme, "at the grand 
 dinners of Prince Talleyrand, that the larger pieces 
 of cookery of the first course never corresponded with 
 the elegance of the bronzes, the glass, and the plate. 
 Delivering myself up entirely to cookery, I promised 
 myself that I would reform an infinity of old usages, 
 though practised as they were by the greatest masters 
 of the art. When I became chief of the kitchen of 
 the Emperor Alexander, I commenced this great re- 
 form. In the years 1816 and 18171 was in England 
 with the Prince Regent, and I was there gratified, 
 for this truly royal table was always served in the 
 French manner, and the service of silver was so su- 
 perb and elegant that I was struck with wonder. It 
 appeared then, that it would advance my reputation 
 to commence the reform that I had proposed. What 
 could be more ridiculous and absurd than, for in-
 
 48 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 
 
 stance, to see served pike or carp a la Chambord, the 
 garniture of which were composed of larded sweet- 
 breads, young pigeons, cocks' combs, and kidneys? 
 But such was, however, the practice of men highest 
 in reputation. 
 
 " When at Vienna with Lord Stewart (now Mar- 
 quis of Londonderry), his Britannic Majesty's ambas- 
 sador at the court of Austria, I for the first time served 
 the carp a la Chambord, surrounded with my new gar- 
 nitures of fish : this large piece was noticed, and the 
 nobility of Vienna, as well as my illustrious employer, 
 approved this novelty; for it is certain that in the 
 Austrian capital, until then, the French cooks in re- 
 putation there had preserved the ancient customs of 
 Paris. I think that a cook can never make too many 
 pecuniary sacrifices to accelerate the progress of his 
 art. I each day feel a grateful satisfaction in my 
 work, from the flattering encouragements I receive 
 from the noble personages I serve, but to accomplish 
 it I have not only made great sacrifices in money, 
 but every day have meditated on some new thing: 
 this work will afford proofs of it." 
 
 The following is Careme's idea of our English 
 turtle soup, which we will reproduce in speaking of 
 soups : 
 
 "TURTLE SOUP. 
 
 " This soup is, without contradiction, the most 
 lengthened in its details of any that are known ; the 
 composition of its seasoning claims an able hand and
 
 Ancient and Mediceval Cookery. 49 
 
 a strong memory. The palate of the cook who ex- 
 ecutes it should be very fine ; none of the ingre- 
 dients should predominate, not even the cayenne or 
 allspice, which the English cooks inconsiderately 
 employ." 
 
 How well expressed is this ! What parliamentary 
 language ! An able hand and a strong memory ; 
 and then the "inconsiderate" use of spices is as deli- 
 cately and dexterously hinted as though Careme had 
 taken practical lessons of the late Sir Robert Peel, 
 or studied Hamilton's Parliamentary Logic. 
 
 Notwithstanding the dictum of the author of the 
 " Manuel des Amphitryons," that " Un grand cui- 
 sinier ne doit point se livrer a la patisserie, dans 
 laquelle il ne pourroit jamais etre que mediocre," 
 it is in pastry and such small trifles that Careme 
 chiefly shines. His work is unsuited to the mass of 
 even the higher classes in this or any other country, 
 and its use must be limited to persons of colossal 
 fortune, who have thousands a year to expend in 
 magnificent entertainments. The sale of such a work 
 must, under any circumstances, be extremely limited, 
 even though the price did not amount to the extra- 
 vagant sum of twenty-one shillings. 
 
 Having now gone through the principal cookery 
 books of England and France, I may be indulged 
 in a few remarks on the cuisine of both countries. 
 The cookery of England is, with the greater part of 
 the nation, an object, not of luxurious desire or 
 
 E
 
 50 Ancient arid Medieval Cookery. 
 
 morning meditation, but of plain necessity and solid 
 and substantial comfort. 
 
 " Due nourishment we seek, not gluttonous delight," 
 
 to use the words of Milton. Men dine to satisfy 
 hunger in England, and to sustain and strengthen 
 themselves for those avocations, professional, parlia- 
 mentary, and commercial, into which they throw 
 more eager energy, more properly-directed vigour, 
 force, and intensity than any other nation under the 
 sun, not even excepting the Americans. It may be 
 a humiliating confession, but in England no learned 
 treatises have been written on the art of dining or 
 dinner giving. "W e are wholly without "medita- 
 tions" or " contemplations gastronomiques;" we do 
 not spend thousands of pounds in the gingerbread 
 gilding of cafes and restaurants ; nor have we " ma- 
 gasins de comestibles," in the style of Chevet and 
 Corcellet. Our inventive powers are not turned 
 in the direction of luxury, nor do we make our bill 
 of fare our calendar, nor measure the seasons by their 
 dainty productions. We talk little of dining or 
 dishes, however much the most luxurious and sen- 
 sual among us may think about it. We can knead 
 and bake, and roast and boil, and stew plain food as 
 well, perhaps better, than our livelier neighbours ; 
 but we are not so expert in petits plats, in entrees, 
 entremets, and ragouts, and are therefore justly 
 obnoxious to the pert remark of Voltaire, that
 
 Ancient and Medi&val Cookery. 51 
 
 though we have twenty-four religions, we have but 
 one sauce. We can compare, combine and search 
 out causes in morals, science, and legislation, but we 
 have given no heed to the canons or combinations of 
 cookery. We have given birth to a Bacon, a Locke, 
 a Shakespeare, a Milton, a Watt ; but we are without 
 a Vatel, a Bechamel, a Laguipierre, a Beauvilliers, 
 or a Careme. We have perfected railroads, steam- 
 boats, and canals, but we cannot make a supreme de 
 volatile in perfection, nor arrange des petits choux en 
 profiteroles. We have produced the best quadrants, 
 the best sextants, the best achromatic telescopes, and 
 the best chronometers ; but the truffles we grow in 
 Derbyshire and Hampshire are pale and flavourless, 
 and we cannot make larks au gratin. We have built 
 the best steam-ships, the best steam-carriages, the best 
 vehicles of every description for draught, business, 
 pleasure, and amusement; but we cannot fatten frogs 
 with the science of a Simon, and we do not render 
 our mutton tender by electricity. We have beaten 
 the nations of the earth in fabrics of linen, woollen, 
 and cotton; but we are ignorant of epigrams of 
 lamb, and know nothing of salpicons a la V&ne- 
 tienne. We have invented the safety-lamp, the 
 stocking-frame, and the spinning-jenny; but we 
 hopelessly try our hands at filets de lapereaux en 
 turban, and ignominiously fail in salmis of partridge 
 a la bourguinote. We have excelled in everything 
 requiring a union of enterprise, energy, persever-
 
 52 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 
 
 ance, and wealth ; but we have no pates de foies- 
 gras of home invention, and no terrines de Nerac. 
 We have discovered and planted colonies which will 
 perpetuate our name, our language, our literature, and 
 our free institutions, to the last syllable of recorded 
 time; but we cannot make veloutes of vegetables, 
 nor haricots blancs a la maitre d'Jwtel. We have 
 given liberty to the slave, and preached the pure 
 word of the gospel to the nations subjected to our 
 dominion and sway ; but we still eat butter badly 
 melted with our roast veal, and we have not invented 
 three hundred and sixty-four ways to dress eggs. 
 Our schoolmaster has indeed been " long abroad ;" 
 but though he has so far yielded to innovation and 
 reform as to cast off the cauliflower wig of the time 
 of the great Busby, yet he will not hear of chouf- 
 leurs au gratin or au jus, but will still eat his escu- 
 lent boiled hard in plain water. But a truce with 
 comparisons, which are somewhat odious. Mankind 
 undoubtedly owe to our neighbours many ingenious 
 culinary processes by which the productions of nature 
 are artfully and pleasantly disguised many delicate 
 combinations of sauces by which the palate is alter- 
 nately stimulated and palled; but though we are 
 indebted to the French for these nick-nackeries 
 though we owe to them hats and hair-powder, bon- 
 bons and busks, caps and crinolines, stays and swad- 
 dling-clothes, sabots, wigs, and waistcoats, filigrams 
 and foulardes, gold thread, gloves, and the guillo-
 
 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 53 
 
 tine yet the world is but little their debtor in any 
 invention which does not turn on vanity, epicurism, 
 or sensuality. They are a people who, according 
 to their own historian, De They, discovered how to 
 make tapestry before they had learned how to make 
 broad cloth. 
 
 The metropolis of England exceeds that of France 
 in extent and population; it commands a greater 
 supply of all articles of consumption, and contains 
 a greater number and variety of markets, which are 
 better supplied. There are also some articles of 
 meat and some articles of cookery in which England 
 exceeds France. Though we are also undoubtedly 
 inferior to the Gauls in the articles of veal and fowl, 
 yet we greatly surpass them in mutton, produce 
 better beef, lamb, and pork, and are immeasurably 
 superior both in the quantity and quality of our fish, 
 our venison, and our game. 
 
 This was admitted by St. Evremond nearly two 
 hundred years ago in some stanzas, entitled " Les 
 Avantages de PAngleterre," wherein he says 
 
 " Roche-guyon, Bene, verfine, 
 Ne vantez plus votre lapin ; 
 Windsor en fournit la cuisine 
 D'un fumet encore plus fin." 
 
 In the same poem he alludes to the profuse supply 
 of woodcocks, snipe, pheasant, and larks, and to the 
 fine flavour and colour of the Bath mutton. It is in
 
 54 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 
 
 fish, however, that we have been always most pre- 
 eminent. 
 
 The turbot brought to Billingsgate in large quan- 
 tities from the sand-banks, on the coast of Holland 
 and St. George's Channel, sufficiently attest our 
 energy and enterprise. The coast of Holland, and 
 the sea beyond our western coast, are as open to the 
 French as to the British, yet when has any Paris 
 market disclosed such a supply of fish as may be seen 
 daily at Billingsgate, even after the hundreds of thou- 
 sands of retail fishmongers have been supplied. In a 
 few soups, such as turtle, which we possess in the 
 greatest perfection, owing to our colonial trade, and 
 ox tail, mock turtle, giblet, hare, pea, and mutton 
 broth, we also surpass the French but in the making 
 of the latter admirable broth for invalids, there is 
 still much to desire at coffee-houses and clubs. 
 There is scarcely known a public establishment where 
 it may be eaten in perfection, excepting at Brooke's 
 in St. James's-street. It were most desirable that 
 we should learn how to make a French bouillon or 
 a lait de poule, for here indeed we are ignorant and 
 at fault. In the boiling of all plain fish we surpass 
 our neighbours. There is nothing in Paris equal to a 
 first-rate English turbot,cod-fish, haddock, john-dorey, 
 or Southampton water or Severn salmon, but the 
 sauces used for these fishes in France are infinitely 
 preferable. It is a remark of the late Lady Holland, 
 that no fish should be eaten with another, and, there-
 
 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 55 
 
 fore, lobster sauce was excluded from her table. 
 Dutch sauce is unquestionably more favourable to 
 the flavour of all boiled fish. 
 
 The French certainly beat us in sturgeon cutlets, 
 filets de sole, and bechamels offish. The oysters of 
 Cancale, of Etretat, of Ostend, and Marenne, are 
 equal, if not superior, to the generality of English 
 oysters, because they are less artificially fed, and 
 have not their flavour washed away. But if the 
 London tradesmen would spare their oatmeal and 
 fresh water, the Milton native oyster would be found 
 superior to its Gallic brother. In other shell-fish, 
 also, we have a decided superiority. The corpulent, 
 respectable, full-fed crab is almost unknown to the 
 Gauls, and they have but a small quantity of lobsters 
 and prawns, but they cultivate the smaller cray-fish 
 in great quantities a fish which is not common in 
 England. Nor is there anything in French cookery 
 equal to our barons of beef, our noble sirloins, our 
 exquisite haunches, and saddles, and legs, and loins 
 of Southdown mutton ; our noble rounds of boiled 
 beef, and those prime five guinea haunches of venison, 
 which one sees from June till September, at the esta- 
 blishments of the Messrs. Grove, at Charing Cross 
 and Bond Street. In cutlets of all kinds, in fricassees, 
 in ragouts, in salmis, quenelles, purees, filets, and more 
 especially in the dressing of vegetables, our neigh- 
 bours surpass us ; but we roast our game more per- 
 fectly, and can hash mutton and venison better than
 
 56 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 
 
 any one of the myriads of French cooks. In bread, 
 cream, butter, eggs, whether with reference to size 
 or freshness, England is not to compare with France; 
 and a French poularde of La Bresse or du Mans is 
 worth all the Dorking fowl hatched since the time of 
 the deluge. Though, therefore, the French cuisine 
 be more luxurious, more varied, more palatable, 
 more fair and dainty to look on than our ruder, more 
 simple, more frugal, and less luxurious kitchen, yet 
 our aliments (with the single exception of our vege- 
 tables) are infinitely more nutritious, and to English 
 stomachs, at least, just as easy of digestion perhaps, 
 indeed, easier than the more refined and recherche 
 fare of our livelier neighbours. It were undoubtedly 
 desirable that we should learn a little from them in 
 the way of white and brown sauces in veloutes, in 
 the dressing of vegetables, in the making that simple, 
 excellent thing, an omelette, in cooking beef-steaks, 
 veal cutlets, and mutton chops, in seasoning and 
 flavouring with ham instead of with salt ; and in a 
 more profuse use of eggs, oil, and butter. The great 
 objection to the more general employment of these 
 good things hitherto has been the expense, but now 
 that the extended operation of the tariff has rendered 
 all kinds of provisions cheaper, a great improvement 
 in the kitchen even of the middle classes should be 
 expected. Within the last thirty years great im- 
 provements have been introduced into the domestic 
 cookery of the highest nobility, and within the last
 
 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 57 
 
 twenty years, owing to frequent intercommunica- 
 tion, such has been the rapid progress that one may 
 fancy oneself dining in the Rue de Bourbon, the 
 Rue de Grenelle, or the Rue St. Florentin, in- 
 stead of in Grosvenor or Belgrave-square or Park 
 Lane ; but still while anything is imperfect, some- 
 thing remains to be done, and with the continuation 
 of peace, we may look forward with hopefulness, not 
 alone to a more extended commerce, but to an im- 
 proved cookery. No one desires to see Englishmen 
 gluttons, gourmands, or refined sensualists, but only 
 to see them adopt some few culinary improvements 
 which would contribute to their material comfort, to 
 their physical health, and to their mental enjoyment. 
 " Coiner a gusto y vestir al uso," is philosophy in 
 England as well as in Spain. Dr. Johnson declared 
 that the subject on which a man most frequently and 
 most earnestly thought was his dinner, and the great 
 leviathan spoke truly in so far as he was personally 
 concerned. " I could," says he, " write a better book 
 of cookery than has ever yet been written ; it should 
 be a book on philosophical principles ; I would tell 
 what is the best butcher's meat, the proper seasons 
 of different vegetables, and then how to roast and 
 boil and to compound." 
 
 Would that the doctor had lived to complete the 
 task. The work would have been as useful as po- 
 pular, and as well executed as the dictionary ; and 
 there can scarcely be a doubt that it would be com-
 
 58 Ancient and Mediaeval Cookery. 
 
 prehensive and cosmopolitan in its character, and 
 lucid and well-arranged in its details. Such a work 
 yet remains to be written, and the only wonder is, 
 that it has not been long since attempted and accom- 
 plished. When it is considered that no body of men 
 in this our country, from a parish vestry to the Im- 
 perial Parliament, can meet on any public occasion 
 without dining together that the Whigs dine with 
 Lord John Russell, the Conservatives with Lord 
 Derby, and the Radicals with any leader of theirs, 
 if any such there be, with a good house and cellar 
 and a good cook it must be considered that the art 
 of dining ("Part de la gueule," as Montaigne says) is 
 one of the most important bases of representative 
 government, and it should not be without its pro- 
 fessors, historians, and exponents. The subject is 
 nevertheless of a neutral character, and I have endea- 
 voured to show the respective merits of French and 
 English cookery. Substantial solidity and simplicity 
 are the distinctive marks of the one ; variety, delicacy, 
 and harmonious combination is the character of the 
 other. Both are excellent in their way, but a fusion 
 of the two kitchens, rejecting what is coarse and 
 barbarous in the English, and too gross, Gascon, 
 and Provencal in the French, would be the perfec- 
 tion of good living. Though personally no admirer 
 of French manners or French morals though I put 
 no faith in French equality, abhor French centra- 
 lization, loathe from the very bottom of my heart
 
 Ancient and Medieval Cookery. 59 
 
 French tyranny, and think French military glory 
 which is but a velvety euphemism for French brigand- 
 age and French invasion should be put down by the 
 comity of nations, and the strong will and strong arm 
 of all mankind yet I am of opinion that there is much 
 in the French kitchen which might be advantageously 
 transplanted and successfully imitated in this coun- 
 try. But as nations cling with constancy to their 
 old culinary customs, and as systems of cookery often 
 survive systems of polity, I am not very hopeful as to 
 any immediate change. A new cookery book,however, 
 pointing out the respective merits of the French and 
 English culinary art, is a work greatly and urgently 
 wanted. The Peel Tariff, or free trade, will never 
 have a fair trial till such a publication sees the light.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 ON MODERN COOKERY AND COOKERY BOOKS. 
 
 AM, in the matters of the kitchen, as will 
 be learned from the previous chapter, 
 no admirer of the wisdom of our ances- 
 tors. Cookery is eminently an experi- 
 mental and a practical art. Each day, while it adds 
 to our experience, should also increase our know- 
 ledge. And now that intercommunication between 
 distant nations has become facile and frequent ; now 
 that we may make an early breakfast in London and 
 a late dinner in Paris, it cannot be permitted that 
 cookery should remain stationary. Far am I from 
 saying that a dinner should be a subject of morning 
 or mid-day meditation or of luxurious desire; but 
 in the present advanced state of civilization, and of 
 medical and chemical knowledge, something more 
 than kneading, baking, stewing, and boiling are 
 necessary in any nation pretending to civilization. 
 The metropolis of England exceeds Paris in extent 
 and population; it commands a greater supply of
 
 Modern Cookery and Cookery Books. 61 
 
 all articles of consumption, and contains a greater 
 number and variety of markets, which are better 
 supplied. We greatly surpass the French in mut- 
 ton, we produce better beef, lamb, and pork, and 
 are immeasurably superior both in the quantity and 
 quality of our fish, our venison, and our game, yet 
 we cannot compare, as a nation, with the higher, the 
 middle, or the lower classes in France, in the science 
 of preparing our daily food. The only articles of 
 food in the quality of which the French surpass us 
 are veal and fowl, but such is the skill and science 
 of their cooks that with worse mutton, worse beef, 
 and worse lamb than ours, they produce better chops, 
 cutlets, steaks, and better made dishes of every na- 
 ture and kind whatsoever. In fricassees, ragouts, 
 salmis, quenelles, purees, Jilets, and more especially in 
 the dressing of vegetables, our neighbours surpass 
 us. No good reason can be alleged why we should 
 not imitate them in a matter in which they are per- 
 fect, or why their more luxurious, more varied, more 
 palatable, and more dainty cookery, should not be 
 introduced more generally among the higher and 
 middle classes. 
 
 The object of sensible people should be to adopt 
 all that is good in the cookery of both nations. 
 While English soups, such as ox tail, mock turtle, 
 giblet, hare, pea soup, and mutton broth have their 
 merits, the French potages a la reine, a la Conde, a la 
 Julienne, and the various purees should not be for-
 
 62 Modern Cookery and Cookery Books. 
 
 gotten. While, also, the practical cook may find 
 copious receipts in English cookery books for the 
 boiling of turbot, cod-fish, john-dorey, and salmon, 
 in the English and Dutch fashion, the sturgeon cut- 
 lets of the French, and their filets and bechamels of 
 fish should be also introduced to English favour and 
 attention from French cookery books. Our barons of 
 beef, our noble sirloins, our exquisite haunches, sad- 
 dles, legs, and loins of Southdown mutton, our noble 
 rounds of boiled beef, and those haunches of British 
 venison, the envy and admiration of the world, are 
 worthy of the highest praise. But, on the other hand, 
 the gigot a Vail aux haricots blancs ought to be made 
 more favourably known to the Englishman, as well 
 as the filet de bceuf, an excellent every-day dish in 
 the good city of Paris. In any new cookery book, 
 while no English receipt of approved excellence 
 should be cancelled, yet there should also be given 
 within a reasonable compass a short system of French, 
 and a compendium of foreign, cookery. It is desirable 
 that we should learn much from our neighbours, as I 
 have said in a former chapter, in white and brown 
 sauces, in veloutes, in the dressing of vegetables, in the 
 seasoning and flavouring with ham instead of with salt, 
 and in a more profuse use of eggs, oil, and butter. 
 
 A new cookery book, pointing out the distinctive 
 merits of the French and English kitchens, is a work 
 urgently needed. In such a manual of the art the 
 readers should be presented with all that is best
 
 Modern Cookery and Cookery Books. 63 
 
 in the substantial solidity and simplicity of the En- 
 glish kitchen, and all that is most varied, delicate, 
 and harmoniously combined in the kitchen of the 
 French. Both are excellent in their way, and there 
 are already many separate treatises on each ; but a 
 fusion or combination of the two systems ought now 
 to be attempted. If any professed cook or amateur 
 succeeds in causing an abandonment of all that is 
 coarse and unwholesome in the English kitchen, and 
 in introducing all that is light, elegant, and varied 
 in the French, he will have accomplished a great 
 object, and have done the health of diners-out and 
 dinner-givers equal service. It is the greatest 
 mistake, in a medical point of view, to suppose that 
 an unvaried uniformity of food contributes either to 
 health or to comfort. Variety is as necessary to the 
 stomach as change of scene, or change of study to 
 the mind, and that variety should be placed in our 
 day within the reach of as many as possible. 
 
 As there is scarcely an English family among the 
 higher or middle classes who does not number among 
 its members a retired military or civil servant of the 
 East India Company, or a retired naval officer or 
 Indian merchant, it would be advisable to introduce 
 a chapter in any coming cookery book on Anglo- 
 Indian cookery. Mulligatawney soup, and curries, 
 and pillaus, are exceedingly wholesome. 
 
 Neither the Spanish, the Portuguese, the Russian, 
 nor the Polish cookery are deserving of general com-
 
 64 Modern Cookery and Cookery Books. 
 
 mendation; but a few national dishes and soups, 
 which have obtained a more general reputation, are 
 worthy of attention and adoption. 
 
 Cookery is, above all others, a traditional and prac- 
 tical art, and unless receipts have stood the test of 
 time and experience, and general approval, they 
 are little worth. Cookery books are, for the most 
 part, copies of each other ; and the first cookery book 
 is only the most original, because we cannot trace 
 the plagiarism beyond the period when printing was 
 invented. But there is little doubt, that in the rolls 
 of great houses, and in the muniment rooms of col- 
 leges, halls, and religious establishments, would be 
 found in vellum manuscript every receipt published 
 in the first English cookery book. And the pla- 
 giarism may be tracked, as a wounded man by his 
 blood, from 1470 .to 1863. The compilers of all 
 cookery books have, more or less, copied the earlier 
 compilers who preceded ; and so it must ever be, till 
 we are foolish enough to reject all experience, and 
 trust to theory or conjecture. 
 
 The compilers of any new cookery book should 
 lay no claim to originality. They should avail them- 
 selves, though never servilely, of the labours of nearly 
 all their predecessors, and by collation, comparison, 
 addition, retrenchment, and the exercise of their own 
 skill, experience, and discoveries, endeavour to im- 
 prove on works already in print. 
 
 Among the French masters in the science of
 
 Modern Cookery and Cookery Books. 65 
 
 cookery are, Vatel, La Chapelle, Grimod de la Rey- 
 niere, Beauvilliers, Ude, Laguipierre, Careme, and 
 Plumeret; but receipts of more general utility for 
 the public at large will be found in the " Cuisinier 
 Royal " and the "" Cuisiniere Bourgeoise." 
 
 Many of the receipts of Careme require alterations 
 and additions, but some may be adopted in their en- 
 tirety. Of Careme's cookery, however, the distinguish- 
 ing characteristic is profuse expenditure. In order to 
 render such a system not merely easy of adoption, 
 but possible, men cooks, splendid establishments, and 
 colossal fortunes must become much more universal 
 than they ever have been or ever can be. 
 
 The object of all should now be not to render the 
 introduction of French cookery difficult and expen- 
 sive, but easy, and within the reach of persons of mo- 
 derate fortune. 
 
 The present age is distinguished as an age of rapid 
 progress, and the improvements suggested now may, 
 in this day of easy and inexpensive communication 
 with the Continent, become permanently rooted to 
 the British soil before 1869.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ON DINNEBS AND DINNER-GIVING. 
 
 INNER is unquestionably the most im- 
 portant and substantial meal of the two, 
 three, or four, in which civilized man 
 indulges, and it is a meal which any 
 healthful and laborious person (whether his labour be 
 of mind or body) enjoys zestfully. Man is distin- 
 guished from the beasts of the field in being a con- 
 versing and a dining animal. Jules Janin says some- 
 where, with more of truth and less of exaggeration 
 than he usually employs, that beasts feed, but man 
 dines; that lower animals hunger, but man some- 
 thing more than hungers^ for he has a discriminating 
 appetite. 
 
 Dinner is an important consideration to those who 
 study health, temper, and the best method of getting 
 through business. Our great moralist, Johnson, 
 would never have accomplished a tithe of what he 
 has done for his generation and posterity, had he 
 not sensibly given much more attention to what
 
 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 67 
 
 suited his palate and his appetite than the great mass 
 of* mankind. The Doctor laughed at those who 
 affected not to care for dinner, and asserted that from 
 having long thought on the subject, he could write 
 a better cookery book than had ever appeared in his 
 day, because it would be written on philosophical 
 principles. The late Sydney Smith, too, one of the 
 ablest and wittiest men of our own generation, laid 
 great stress on the importance of dinner to the pro- 
 per performance of our most serious duties and func- 
 tions ; and there can be no doubt that the Canon of 
 St. Paul's had reason on his side. Every sensible 
 and thoughtful man is, in truth, aware how much 
 better he is able to speak, or to write, or take his 
 part in conversation and debate after a satisfactory 
 meal, which pleased his palate, and suited and satis- 
 fied his appetite, than after a cold, a comfortless, or 
 an unrelished dinner. The result can be explained on 
 purely medical and physiological grounds, and need 
 not be further laboured in a work of this kind. 
 Suffice it to say, however, that in ancient, mediaeval, 
 and modern times, some of the most scientific and 
 learned men have not disdained to write on dinners. 
 I need but mention the treatise of Apicius, who lived 
 in the time of Augustus, "De Re Culinaria;"* the 
 treatise of Nonius, a learned Antwerp physician of the 
 sixteenth century, " De Re Cibaria;" and the more 
 
 * This was first printed at Milan, in 1498.
 
 68 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 
 
 modern treatise of Lemery, physician of Louis XIV., 
 and thirty-three years the physician to the Hotel 
 Dieu at Paris. Lemery published his " Traite des 
 Alimens," in 1702. Contemporaneously with him, 
 flourished Dr. Lister, Physician to our own Queen 
 Anne, who wrote a cookery book in 1705, and gave 
 a paraphrastic translation of the work of Apicius, 
 under the title, " De Obsoniis et Condimentis sive 
 de Arte Coquinaria." In the reign of George IV., 
 Dr. Kitchener and half a dozen of his brethren of the 
 faculty in Paris, wrote disquisitionally upon cookery ; 
 and, in our own day, Drs. Pereira and Lankester 
 have written valuable treatises on food, with a view 
 that we should employ such a diet and regimen as is 
 most conducive to health. The truth is that we must 
 all dine, tant bien que mal, every day in the three 
 hundred and sixty -five ; and, as many of us give din- 
 ners every seven, fourteen, twenty-eight or thirty 
 days, or every quarter of a year, to our friends and 
 acquaintances, it behoves us to know what to order 
 for ourselves, when dining en famille, as well as for 
 the guests who honour us with their company. 
 
 Each country and capital has its mode and season 
 for giving dinners, but there can be no doubt what- 
 ever that the best dinners in the world are given in 
 Paris and in London. Probably if the dinners of 
 London were to be judged by the specimens afforded 
 in the most refined houses of the highest aristocracy 
 in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, and Belgravia, in the
 
 Dmners and Dinner-giving. 69 
 
 season between April and July, we should bear off 
 the bell against the world ; but the general cookery 
 of a great capital containing nearly three millions of 
 souls cannot be properly judged by the superior 
 cookery of about three hundred first-rate houses, in 
 all of which accomplished French or French-trained 
 men cooks officiate. The dinners given at such 
 houses present the substantial solidity, as well as 
 the gracefulness, lightness, and science of French 
 cookery, and display a combination as rare as nutri- 
 tious, as desirable as delightful. But if we descend 
 in England beyond the upper ten thousand, though 
 the fried and roast are generally excellent, the attend- 
 ance good, and the display of glass, crystal and plate 
 much greater and better kept, than in any other 
 country and capital in the world, yet the cookery 
 is not to be compared to the finer cuisine bourgeoise 
 of Paris. The professional and learned classes at 
 Paris, as well as the class of superior traders, all 
 feast at a cuisine, which, for its science, its relishing 
 and appetizing qualities, greatly surpasses ours. In 
 moderate houses in Paris there is far less pretension 
 than there is among us. For instance, an eminent 
 lawyer, doctor, or publisher, will give you at a small 
 friendly dinner of four or six, a good soup, a good 
 fish plain or dressed, a good roti, and a couple of side 
 dishes, all of which are excellent in their way, with 
 a salmi of game and a couple of entremets quite per- 
 fect of their kind, and this at an expense of little
 
 70 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 
 
 more than one half of what an English dinner costs. 
 There is on the table plenty for every guest ; but the 
 beauty of such dinners is, that nearly every morsel 
 is eaten up. There are a few good dishes well cooked, 
 and everybody relishes his portion. The wines, 
 liqueurs, and coffee are all good. 
 
 In some of the very first houses in the Faubourg 
 St. Germain, at a small party you seldom see more 
 than two men servants, and often only one. Among 
 professional men living in the neighbourhood of the 
 Palais de Justice, the Chaussee d'Antin,the Faubourg 
 St. Honore, or the Marais, the attendance is gene- 
 rally by a femme de charge, aided by what would in 
 this country be called a parlour maid, and who some- 
 times acts as (\\cfemme de chambre of the lady of the 
 house, if there be one. 
 
 On the other hand, among the foreign ambassa- 
 dors in Paris, and more especially at the Austrian 
 and Russian Embassies, there are most sumptuous 
 dinners, distinguished by great luxury and display. 
 The great functionaries of the Court too, the Minis- 
 ters, the Prefect of the Seine, and other high official 
 dignitaries, most of whom are nouveaux riches, live 
 expensively, keeping numerous servants, taking their 
 cue from the Court. But it would be an error to 
 suppose from this, that excessive expenditure is the 
 custom of the nation. Far indeed from it ; for the 
 great majority of Frenchmen are thrifty, and spend 
 little on hospitality. The class of bankers, however,
 
 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 7 1 
 
 agents de Change, speculators on the Bourse, railroad 
 contractors, and persons connected with the Credit 
 Fonder and the Credit Mobilier make much display, 
 and live fastly, though in bad taste ; many of them, 
 poor and utterly unknown fourteen or fifteen years 
 ago, now possess fine mansions, first-rate cooks, and 
 live a la Lucullus. 
 
 But these men do not move in high or select so- 
 ciety. They live among speculators and jobbers, 
 and their tables are often presided over by some in- 
 cognita of the demi-monde, some premiere danseuse 
 of the opera, or some jeune premiere of the Varieties 
 or the Vaudeville. 
 
 The gentry and higher middle classes in Paris 
 enjoy an exquisite and not expensive cuisine bour- 
 geoise, but English or foreigners are rarely met at 
 their dinners. The truth is that few Englishmen 
 speak the French language sufficiently well or under- 
 stand French domestic life so thoroughly as to relish 
 French society. Notwithstanding the great inter- 
 course that has prevailed between the two nations 
 for nearly half a century, they do not mix well toge- 
 ther socially. Englishmen, notwithstanding the ex- 
 tended intercourse they have had with the Continent, 
 still like to sit an hour or so over their wine, after the 
 ladies have departed, whereas in Paris ladies and 
 gentlemen leave the salle a manger, or dinner table, 
 together, and retire to another room to coffee and con- 
 versation. The coffee and liqueurs despatched, the
 
 72 Dinners and Dinner- giving. 
 
 dinner circle is dissolved by host and guests either pro- 
 ceeding to the theatres, or to some cercle or reunion, 
 where other friends are met. The result is, that after 
 from two and a half to three hours of agreeable con- 
 viviality, the circle separate, mutually pleased with 
 each other, and greatly exhilirated by the good cheer, 
 the good converse, and the good coffee. The parties 
 sit down to their repast at six or seven, and separate at 
 half-past eight or half- past nine, when it is not too late 
 to go to the Italian or French opera, or even to the 
 Theatre du Palais Royal, the Vaudeville, or the 
 Varietes. There is no torturing headache the next 
 day from that "casse tete" wine called port, and there 
 has been no time lost in waiting, as with us, for peo- 
 ple arrive in France at the very moment invited a 
 moment which is always considered military time, so 
 precisely is it kept. 
 
 It is a pity we do not adopt something of this system 
 among all classes in England. People might under 
 this condition of things, give two dinners for every 
 one they now give, and both host and guest would be all 
 the better in person and pocket for a more elegant 
 and temperate style of living. 
 
 To return, however, to English dinners. Though 
 
 * * o o 
 
 in no capital in the world is hospitality more gene- 
 rally exercised than in London from January to 
 December, yet among the higher classes the grand 
 time for giving dinners is at the height of the season 
 that is to say, when both houses of Parliament
 
 Dinners and Dinner- giving. 73 
 
 are sitting. The season may generally be described 
 as extending from the middle of April to the middle 
 of July, a period of three months. Occasionally it 
 begins a little earlier and ends a little later, but on 
 an average of years it would be found that London 
 is filled with the most distinguished visitors during 
 these months. 
 
 During the season of which I speak, the prices of 
 all table luxuries are enhanced, spring chickens as 
 they are called costing generally about 12s. or 13s. 
 the couple. Fashion, however, will exert its sway, 
 and, totally irrespective of cost, diners d'apparat, 
 or grand entertainments, are always given during 
 this season. Covers are laid for twelve, fourteen, 
 sixteen, eighteen, or twenty, as the case may be, 
 though occasionally the number of guests is consider- 
 ably larger. At regular dress dinners of this kind 
 there is great magnificence, great luxury, all the 
 primeurs, as the French call them, all the early fruits 
 and vegetables, no matter what the cost, are provided 
 and produced. Green peas are imported from Por- 
 tugal, and asparagus from the same place, and from 
 Hyeres, Nice, &c. Most of the nobility and gentry 
 are enabled to supply themselves from their country 
 seats with hot-house grapes and pines ; but, to such 
 as are not, Covent Garden, and the best fruiterers 
 of London are always open, and in no country in the 
 world do you find, if prepared to incur the expenditure, 
 finer fruits (especially hot-house fruits) than in Eng-
 
 74 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 
 
 land, though finer vegetables are to be found in the 
 Brussels and occasionally in the Parisian markets. 
 
 At the grand dinners of which I speak the custom 
 has been, and still in a great degree is, to divide the 
 dinner into several courses, but this is a practice super- 
 inducing trouble, profusion, and expense. These 
 may be incurred where there are large establishments 
 and colossal fortunes (as there are in England in 
 a greater degree than in any country in the world), 
 and where the object is to astonish and render rivalry 
 hopeless, rather than to please or satisfy your guest j 
 but as in the great majority of cases the fortunes and 
 the desires of men are moderate, it seems to me it 
 would be in better sense, and, indeed, in better taste 
 too, to allow of but two courses as in France. In 
 some of the best houses in the Faubourg St. Ger- 
 main, fish and hors cCcevvre, such as patties, &c., 
 form part of the first course, and not a distinct course 
 as here. 
 
 In all grand dinners for twelve persons in England, 
 two soups, two fishes, and four entrees for the first 
 course are considered indispensable ; and two roasts, 
 two removes, and half a dozen entremets for the second 
 course. For a dinner of twenty, the entrees and the 
 entremets would necessarily have to be doubled, being 
 each increased to eight. Of course the bill of fare 
 for these dinners varies with the season. In April a 
 turtle and a spring soup may be given with turbot and 
 crimped salmon, roast fore-quarter of lamb, fillet of
 
 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 75 
 
 beef, &c. ; whereas in January or February there 
 may be an ox-tail, a mock turtle, a gravy or a giblet 
 or a grey pea soup, with a variety of game, such as 
 partridges, black cock, wild duck, snipe, and wood- 
 cock, not procurable in April or May. Persons giv- 
 ing dinners should, of course, consider the season. 
 
 Men of rank and fortune who keep a regular house 
 steward or maitre cThutel have this trouble taken off 
 their hands, for a confidential servant, or a French 
 chef de cuisine arranges with the master of the estab- 
 lishment or the lady of the house what is to be the 
 menu or bill of fare ; but persons of two or three 
 thousand a year, or of one thousand a year (and such 
 persons now give occasional dinners, vieing with those 
 of ten and twenty times their fortune) cannot afford 
 to keep French men cooks, or to maintain extensive 
 establishments. It is therefore necessary, unless 
 these gentlemen be supplied by Gunter, Bridgeman, 
 or some other tradesmen, at so much per head, that 
 he should know how to order a dinner. 
 
 In the case of men of moderate fortune, it is very 
 likely a first-rate man cook, French or English, will 
 be introduced for the occasion, and come the day be- 
 fore the dinner to make preliminary arrangements, 
 and to give directions to, and to aid the ordinary 
 woman cook of the household. Unless some such 
 arrangement as this be adopted, a dinner cannot be 
 very satisfactory, and probably it would be better for 
 persons who have to give set dinners on certain occa-
 
 76 Dinners and Dinner- giving. 
 
 sions twice or thrice a year, and who cannot fully 
 rely on their own English female cook, and the pro- 
 fessed man cook brought in to assist and superintend, 
 to contract with some renowned undertaker or entre- 
 preneur of dinners, such as Gunter, Staples, Bathe and 
 Breach, &c., to supply the party of twelve or twenty, 
 as the case may be, at so much a head, exclusive of 
 wine. 
 
 In arrangements such as this much trouble is saved 
 to the man of small fortune, and there is no waste, 
 for the provider of the dinner removes the debris on 
 the very night of the feast, or early the following 
 morning. Why, however, it will be asked, should 
 persons of a couple or three thousand a year give so 
 pretentious and costly a dinner ? Because every one 
 in England tries to ape the class two or three degrees 
 above him in point of rank and fortune, in style of 
 living, and manner of receiving his friends. Thus 
 it is that a plain gentleman of moderate fortune, or a 
 professional man making a couple of thousands a 
 year, having dined with a peer of 50,000 a year in 
 Grosvenor Square or Belgravia, seeks when he him- 
 self next gives a dinner, to imitate the style of the 
 Marquis, Earl, or Lord Lieutenant of a county with 
 whom he has come into social contact. The attempt 
 is a great mistake, and generally a failure ; for unless 
 there be a unity and completeness, an ensemble in 
 such a feast, it is a misadventure. In a party of 
 twenty at one of these great houses there are from a
 
 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 77 
 
 dozen to fifteen servants, exclusive of the butler and 
 under-butler, waiting at table, and where is the man 
 of three thousand or six thousand a year who could 
 afford such a retinue of liveried lackeys ! The keep, 
 liveries, beer-money, and wages of a dozen livery ser- 
 vants of this kind, would amount to from 1600 to 
 2000 a year alone. Is it not therefore folly for 
 gentlemen of small means, or for struggling profes- 
 sional men, to seek to vie with, by aping, these mag- 
 nates. Let the great brewers, the great bankers, the 
 great merchants, and the great railway contractors 
 and millionaires, vie with them if it please them, but 
 let men of mind and brain not attempt it. Even in 
 the case of millionaires, the essay at rivalry is rarely 
 successful. There is ostentation without ease, ele- 
 gance, good breeding, or good taste, and the parvenu 
 too often appears in all his disagreeable hideousness 
 and self-sufficiency. It were far better if men of 
 moderate fortune would attempt less. The success 
 of a dinner does not depend in the least on two soups, 
 two fishes, two removes, and eight entrees, but on 
 having sufficient on table the best of its kind, and 
 thoroughly well dressed. Better far have one first- 
 rate soup and one good fish, such as turbot or salmon, 
 than a multiplicity of dishes, unless you have good 
 cooks and a retinue of servants, and all the acces- 
 sories of a first-rate establishment. It is within the 
 power of every gentleman of fair means to give a 
 good soup, a good fish, a couple of removes, and four
 
 78 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 
 
 entrees at the first course, and a couple of small 
 roasts, a couple of removes, and a few entremets at 
 the second course, and what can any reasonable man 
 want in addition ? If the dinner be composed exclu- 
 sively of English, let the remove be a haunch or 
 saddle of mutton, a roast turkey and ham, a braized 
 leg of mutton, a fillet or a sirloin of beef, and surely 
 there is enough to create " a soul under the ribs of 
 death," with the entrees of lamb, mutton, and veal 
 cutlets, with fillets of pheasants, vol au vents blan- 
 quette, of sweetbreads and such like. In April, May, 
 June, and July, fricassees of chickens, leverets, 
 pigeons, fillets of rabbits, with quails, ducklings, 
 turkey poults, and guinea fowls may be served for 
 entrees and second courses ; while in August there is 
 venison, grouse, and wheatears. In September, Oc- 
 tober, November, and December, there are partridges, 
 grouse, blackcock, golden plover, snipe, woodcock, 
 wild duck, hare, and pheasants ; while in the two last 
 months of November and December, ox-tail, mulliga- 
 tawney, mock turtle, and giblet soups may do fre- 
 quent duty, with turbot, crimped cod, haddock, and 
 brill for fish. For entrees in the winter months 
 there may be pork cutlets, quenelles, mutton cutlets, 
 rabbit curries, &c. 
 
 I am now speaking, of course, of dinners of some 
 pretension; but there are every day given in England 
 those quiet little family dinners of six or eight per- 
 sons, which are the perfection of social life.
 
 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 79 
 
 It is said that the number present at these dinners 
 should not be less than the graces, nor more than the 
 muses. There is a good deal of truth in this. Con- 
 versation cannot be general or quite unrestrained, 
 where the company exceeds eight or ten. In a party 
 of sixteen or twenty you are forced to converse with 
 your neighbours on either side, or with the gentleman 
 opposite to you. The master of a feast should take 
 care in selecting his guests, whether in a large or in a 
 small party, but more particularly in a small party 
 that they should be people of analagous tastes. In 
 most cases it would not very well answer to place 
 a Puritan side by side with a High Churchman or 
 a peace-at-any-price man next an engineer officer, 
 earnest in the pursuit of his profession. An Allopa- 
 tliist should not be united en petit comite with a 
 Homo20pathist ; nor a whig of the old school with 
 a violent radical. The great object is to pair amiable, 
 pleasant and agreeable men, who have travelled much 
 and lived in the world, and pleasant and agreeable 
 women. A good talker at a dinner- table is a great 
 acquisition, but good listeners are not less essential. 
 
 But your good talker should be an urbane and po- 
 lite man, not bumptious and underbred. Barris- 
 ters and travelled physicians are generally excellent 
 company, though the former not seldom monopolise 
 too much of the conversation, and give it occasionally 
 a shoppy air. If the object of dining be to secure 
 the greatest quantity of health and enjoyment, such
 
 80 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 
 
 results are more likely to be attained at small than 
 at those set and formal dinners, where people are 
 kept to use the language of the late Mr. Walker, 
 in " stately durance." The essence of a good dinner, 
 as the author of the " Original " sensibly remarks, is 
 " that it should be without ceremony," and that you 
 should have what you want when you want it." 
 This you cannot have at a ceremonial and formal 
 London dinner, where you are encumbered with 
 help," and are not allowed to do anything for your- 
 self. At small every-day dinners, you may have 
 every thing upon the table that is wanted at 
 the time ; thus for salmon you would have lobster, 
 or parsley and butter, or cockle sauce, as you might 
 prefer, with cayenne, chili vinegar, sliced cucumber, 
 &c. The comfort of this is great, as the guests pass 
 the sauces at once and instantaneously to each other. 
 At great dinners this is never done. Everything is 
 handed round by a file of liveried servants, who are 
 continually changing the courses and taking up and 
 laying down dishes, to the discomfort of the guests. 
 Yet it is this dull, comfortless, stately and ostentatious 
 formality that every one is striving at. 
 
 " State," as Mr. Walker observes, " without the 
 machinery of state, is of all states the worst;" and it is 
 detestable to see men with a couple of thousands a year, 
 and a couple of men servants, and an English female 
 cook, imitating the style of living of men of thirty 
 thousand a year, with a dozen male servants. I
 
 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 81 
 
 would not have it inferred, that a large income 
 and a first-rate man cook are indispensable to the 
 giving of good dinners. There are now several 
 Schools of Cookery in London, from some of which 
 one can obtain regularly educated female cooks, and 
 it is quite possible, with small establishments and 
 small fortunes, to give comfortable and even elegant 
 dinners, in which the English style shall be diversified 
 by the French. But in these small establishments too 
 much should not be attempted. Everything savour- 
 ing of too much state and over-display should be 
 discarded. The dishes should be choice, but limited 
 in number, and the wines more remarkable for their 
 excellence than their variety. It is the exquisite 
 quality of a dinner or a wine that pleases us, not the 
 number of dishes, nor the number of vintages. The 
 late Earl of Dudley was wont to say, " that a good 
 soup, a small turbot, a neck of venison, and ducklings 
 with green peas, or chicken with asparagus, or an 
 apricot tart, was a dinner for an emperor !" and to my 
 thinking it was far too good for most emperors past 
 and present. 
 
 I have already observed, that in my mind the 
 reallyfine cuisine bourgeoise of good housesin France is 
 perfection, and I do not despair of seeing such cookery 
 infinitely more generally used in England than it 
 ever has been ; but the more expensive French cookery 
 is never likely to become generally prevalent amongst 
 us. Careme tells us that at grand balls and dinners he 
 
 G
 
 82 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 
 
 used to roast turkeys only for his soups and con- 
 sommes, and he talks as volubly of two, four, and half- 
 a-dozen fowls, as though they were had for eighteen 
 pence a piece, instead of costing at the cheapest rate 
 and time 5s. 6d. or 6s. a couple. A system of cookery 
 so expensive as this can never become general in any 
 country. Careme tells how he formed his consommes, 
 and though doubtless they were better flavoured and 
 presented a more golden appearance than the gene- 
 rality of consommes, yet, to use the language of 
 Burke, 
 
 " They were soon exhaled, and vanished hence 
 A short, sweet odour at a vast expense." 
 
 There are, however, many things in the French 
 kitchen which are daily coming into more general 
 use. First, there is the pot au feu for the family 
 broth ; there are the various purees for fowl, rabbit, 
 and vegetable soups of all kinds, from Jerusalem 
 artichokes, carrots, and turnips, to onions and cerfeuil. 
 Thirdly, there are the various sauces of blanc, espag- 
 nole, roux blanc, veloute, sauce a la creme, and poivrade, 
 which are now of much more common usage than 
 they were thirty, twenty, or even ten years ago. 
 We are every day also getting more and more into 
 the habit of filleting our soles, or dressing them au 
 gratin or a la Normande; and in the serving of entrees 
 and entremets we have made visible improvement. Still 
 there are few English cooks in England who can turn 
 out an omelette aux fines herbes, or an omelette sovfflee
 
 Dinners arid Dinner-giving. 83 
 
 as well as an ordinary French cook. Yet, what an ex- 
 cellent thing this for breakfast or lunch when one is 
 tired of a boiled egg, of a slice of cold ham, beef, or 
 tongue, or of a mutton chop, beefsteak, or cold game pie. 
 
 A morning's meal is no unimportant thing to a 
 man who has to appear in half a dozen causes in a 
 crowded court, who has to visit five-and-twenty 
 patients, or to get through half a dozen Blue-books 
 before he goes down to a Parliamentary Committee 
 at the House of Lords or Commons. Our mental 
 energies, in a great degree, depend on our physical 
 condition and well-being ; and the physical condition 
 of that man, be he peer, senator, advocate, or doctor, 
 who, for half a dozen days, has had an indifferent 
 breakfast or dinner, cannot be good. 
 
 In asking people to dinner, you should put to your- 
 self the question, " Why do I ask them ? " and unless 
 the answer be satisfactory, they are not likely to con- 
 tribute much to the agreeability and sociality of the 
 entertainment. They may be ornamental ; it may be 
 necessary, in a give-and-take sense, to have them in 
 return for a dinner already long received and digested ; 
 but, unless they are sensible, social, unaffected, and 
 clever men, they are not likely to contribute much 
 to the hilarity of the entertainment. You may ask 
 a man because he is a bon vivant, because he is a 
 raconteur, because he talks brilliantly and eloquently, 
 because he is a wit, because he is a distinguished 
 traveller, poet, historian, or orator, or because he is
 
 84 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 
 
 a good-natured popular man, a " bon enfant" or, what 
 used to be called, a "jolly good fellow." But do not 
 ask any, however much above the average, who is a 
 prig, who is pretentious, who is disputatious, or who 
 is underbred. Never introduce to your table men 
 who have not the feelings, habits, manners, and edu- 
 cation of gentlemen I had almost said, the birth of 
 a gentleman ; but it must be remembered that nature 
 now and again produces some magnificent specimens 
 of what somebody has called " God Almighty's gentle- 
 men." But these are the exceptions, not the rule ; 
 for it will generally be found that men of gentle birth 
 are also men of gentle breeding. The only two posi- 
 tively offensive and ill-bred men I ever encountered 
 in society were men of some ability who had pro- 
 bably never entered the house of a gentleman to 
 dinner, till they were four or five-and-twenty. In 
 these instances, the want of early training and cul- 
 ture in manners and les convenances had never been 
 supplied. The presence of men of this stamp is 
 destructive to good fellowship. They are social pests, 
 and should be avoided comme la gale. 
 
 Though the French learned a great deal of their 
 cookery, and still more of their confectionery, from 
 the Italians, yet there is little now in Italian cookery 
 worthy of imitation or adoption among us. Mac- 
 aroni and semolina soups are better made in Paris 
 than in Italy, though the ribbon macaroni is better 
 prepared at Naples and in Sicily than anywhere else 
 in the world. Veal cutlets, also, are very well pre-
 
 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 85 
 
 pared in the great cities of Italy, and more especially 
 at Naples and Turin. 
 
 Italian ices and confectionary are worthy of all 
 praise ; but, as the nation is not a dinner-giving nation, 
 we have little or nothing to adopt from them. Some 
 of their sausages are extremely good and appetizing. 
 
 The Spaniards are as little of a dinner-giving 
 people as the Italians. Though every Spaniard tells 
 you, with asseverating protestations, " Mi casa sta a la 
 dispocion di usted," yet this means nothing whatever, 
 for assuredly you are never destined to eat or drink 
 within his four walls, unless it be a cup of cold water. 
 The only national dishes of any note in Spain, are 
 the olla and the puchero, and neither would be relished 
 by Englishmen of well-educated palates. 
 
 Germany has little to teach us in the way of 
 cookery. On the banks of the Rhine they dress a 
 carp well, with both sweet and sour sauce ; but, for 
 my own part, I prefer a Rhenish carp served in Paris 
 by a French cook. German sauer kraut, with Ham- 
 bro' beef, may be said to be a national dish, and right 
 good the Hambro' salt beef is ; but few English- 
 men like either sauer kraut or potato salad a dish of 
 Fatherland. German batter and German horse- 
 radish sauce, made with cream, and also the cherry- 
 sauce, so common, is not despicable with certain 
 meats ; but, on the whole, German cookery is not 
 either elegant or palatable. 
 
 It may be thought that my condemnation of Ger- 
 man cookery is too sweeping. It is not without full
 
 86 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 
 
 experience I speak of it, for I have lived in every 
 capital town of Germany. At Dresden, many years 
 ago, I rented a house in the Neu Markt, of the cook 
 of Madame de Stael, and he furnished the best-dressed 
 dinners I saw in Germany. At Vienna, among the 
 Ambassadors of the five Great Powers, and among 
 some of the Hungarian and Bohemian nobility, first- 
 rate dinners are given, dressed by French cooks ; but 
 this is not the cookery of the nation at large, nor 
 even of the well-to-do and easy portion of it. Ca- 
 reme was a considerable time at Vienna, as cook of 
 the late Marquis of Londonderry, and he liked Vienna 
 very well ; but he says that the beef, mutton, and 
 veal are very indifferent, badly bled, and disagreeable 
 to dress. " There are wanting at Vienna," says Ca- 
 reme, " the truffles of France, and the fish of the sea.' 1 
 But, though these wants are now speedily supplied 
 by rail, the general cookery is not good. 
 
 The best and truest account of German cookery is 
 given in the " Bubbles from the Brunnens of Nassau." 
 "During the fashionable season," says the author, 
 the dinner at Langenschwalbach is at one o'clock. 
 Seated at the table of the Alice Saal, I counted one 
 hundred and eighty people at dinner in one room. 
 To say in a single word whether the fare was bad or 
 good would be quite impossible, it being so com- 
 pletely different from anything ever met with in 
 England. To my simple taste, the cookery is most 
 horrid ; still there were now and then some dishes, 
 particularly sweet ones, which I thought excellent.
 
 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 87 
 
 With respect to the made-dishes, of which there were 
 a great variety, I beg to record a formula which is 
 infallible ; the simple rule is this let the stranger 
 taste the dish, and if it be not sour, he may be quite 
 certain that it is greasy : again, if it be not greasy, 
 let him not eat thereof, for then it is sure to be sour. 
 With regard to the order of the dishes, that too is 
 unlike anything Mrs. Glasse ever thought of: after 
 soup, which all over the world is the alpha of the 
 gourmand's alphabet, the barren meat from which the 
 said soup has been extracted is produced ; of course 
 it is dry, tasteless, withered-looking stuff, which a 
 Grosvenor Square cat would not touch with its whis- 
 kers; but this dish is always attended by a couple of 
 satellites the one, a quantity of cucumber stewed 
 in vinegar ; the other, a black greasy sauce ; and if 
 you dare accept a piece of this flaccid beef, you are 
 instantly thrown between Scylla and Charybdis, for 
 so sure as you decline the indigestible cucumber, 
 souse comes into your plate a deluge of the sickening 
 grease. After the company have eaten heavily of mes- 
 ses, which it would be impossible to describe, in comes 
 some nice salmon then fowls then puddings 
 then meat again then stewed fruit ; and after the 
 English stranger has fallen back in his chair quite 
 beaten, a leg of mutton majestically makes its appear- 
 ance ! The pig who lives in his sty would have some 
 excuse, but it is really quite shocking to see any 
 other animal overpowering himself at midday with 
 such a mixture and superabundance of food. Yet
 
 88 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 
 
 only think," says our author, " what a compliment all 
 this is to the mineral waters of Langenschwalbach, 
 if the Naiads of the Pauline can be of real service to 
 a stomach full of vinegar and grease, how much more 
 effectually ought they to tinker up the inside of him 
 who has sense enough to sue them informapauperis" 
 
 The quantity of fat and lard used in German cook- 
 ery, more especially in cooking vegetables, renders it 
 unpalatable to English tastes. 
 
 We may borrow from the Dutch kitchen something 
 in fish soups. The Dutch eel soup is rich, full of 
 flavour, and very nourishing ; and the soup of herring 
 roes, called Erasmus's soup, prepared with twelve 
 soft roes of herrings generally, and a quart of young 
 peas, is by no means despicable. 
 
 I have also, after tossing on the German Ocean, en- 
 joyed in Holland a Flushing soup made of flakes of 
 cod and salmon. Our own modes of dressing cod, 
 whether fresh or salted, is good, but something may 
 be adopted from the Dutch in sauces for fish, and in 
 the various ways of dressing herrings. 
 
 I have, in another part of this work, expressed an 
 opinion as to the Russian mode of laying out a table. 
 I will here merely say that almost everything good in 
 the Russian cookery has been adopted from the Eng- 
 lish, French, and Dutch kitchens. 
 
 There is a fish soup in Russia, the chief ingredient 
 in which is the sterlet, but as the fish is not obtainable 
 here, it is useless to speak of it. Few of our peasantry 
 would eat the Russian national soup the tschy ; and
 
 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 89 
 
 the barch, the Polish soup, which is fermented, is little 
 likely to please an English or a French palate. 
 
 While Careme admits that the Russians have a 
 few national dishes, he properly says these do not 
 constitute a system of cookery. Their butcher's 
 meat, he adds, is very indifferent, their pullets are 
 poor and small. The mutton consumed in St. Peters- 
 burgh comes from the interior, and is often, like the 
 salmon, frozen. 
 
 From the Turkish and Indian cookery we may 
 adopt much more than from the Russian. The pilau 
 and kalobs of Turkey are very relishing, and so are 
 the fish and vegetable curries of India the pish 
 poshes, pepper pots, and cutcharees and country cap- 
 tains. The Indian mulligatawney soup is excellent 
 in the damp and cold weather, from the beginning of 
 November to the end of February. 
 
 For ordinary dinners, English gentlemen should 
 prefer simplicity and excellence to variety. Simpli- 
 city and convenience have triumphed in dress, and 
 will sooner or later in dinners. 
 
 The circular form seems the most desirable in a 
 dinner-table ; and with respect to setting it out, I 
 would say with the late Mr. Walker, nothing should 
 be placed on it but what is wanted. The great ob- 
 ject of meeting round table is to have free and unre- 
 strained communication and hilarity, and these are 
 impeded by plateaus, dormants, and centre-pieces. 
 
 I have not said a word of bachelors' dinners, 
 though of all dinners in the world they are the plea-
 
 90 Dinners and Dinner-giving. 
 
 santest, from the laisser aller and laissez faire style 
 which prevails at them. At bachelors' parties the 
 age, disposition, and amusing qualities of the guests 
 are more considered than at regular set dinners. 
 Bachelors look for the idem velle and the idem nolle 
 when they play the Amphytrion, and in consequence 
 they succeed. Another reason of the success of 
 bachelors' entertainments arises from the fact that 
 the dishes are few and simple ; and as the dinner is 
 generally given in a small house or chambers, the 
 kitchen is not too far removed from the eating par- 
 lour. Everything comes up "screeching hot," as 
 they say in Ireland, and not lukewarm or soddened, 
 as too often happens at great dinners. Centre- 
 pieces, epergnes, and dormants do not generally 
 figure at bachelors' dinners, and there is an absence 
 of form and ceremony which gives zest. Ladies in 
 general love ceremony and ornaments, and the acces- 
 sories of epergnes, flowers, and perfumes. 
 
 I have not said anything of American dinners. 
 The best of these in private houses are copied from 
 the English and French model, although there is 
 much that is distinctive in the manner of serving and 
 consuming dinners at the great hotels in New York. 
 American turtle soup is excellent ; and so is their 
 sturgeon soup. Though I do not agree in Mr. 
 Money's estimate of the Russian dinners, I quite 
 concur in his valuable suggestion, that dinner chairs 
 at our tables should be made lighter and more flex- 
 ible in the back and sitting part.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ON LAYING OUT A TABLE. 
 
 HE manner of laying out a table is nearly 
 the same in all parts of the United King- 
 dom: yet there are trifling local pecu- 
 liarities to which the mistress of a house 
 must attend. A centre ornament, whether it be a 
 dormant, a plateau, an epergne, or a candelabrum, is 
 found so convenient, and contributes so much, in the 
 opinion of some, to the good appearance of the table, 
 that a dinner is seldom or never set out without some- 
 thing of this kind. Of late years people who give 
 dinners give them what is called a la Russe ; but if you 
 ask nine out of every ten what they mean by dining a 
 la Russe, they are unable to tell you. All they can say 
 is, that there is nothing on the table but flowers and 
 fruits, that the dishes are carved on the sideboard and 
 handed about to the guests. This fashion still con- 
 tinues, but I never could see any good reason for its 
 introduction. It seems to me exceedingly odd that a 
 a people, like the English, who, for certainly five
 
 92 On Laying out a Table. 
 
 centuries, have enjoyed a high degree of civilization, 
 should copy the Russians in the system of dinner- 
 giving a people who, a century ago, were plunged 
 in the deepest barbarism, and who, as yet, are scarcely 
 half civilized. Even now the Russians have not in 
 their language any word which conveys the idea of 
 gentleman, and the title of Prince, so common amongst 
 them, is not much more than a hundred years old. 
 Coats of arms were first borne in Russia only about 
 eighty years ago, and they were then introduced by 
 the German adventurers, with which class Russia still 
 abounds. 
 
 In the days of Peter the Great, about a century 
 and a half ago, the Russian Boyars (the only title of 
 nobility, properly speaking, Russian), were so very 
 ignorant that many of them could not write, and so 
 very drunken as to astonish so potent a tippler as 
 Peter himself. When this great reformer knouted 
 his nobles into the luxury of shaving themselves, and 
 the decent habit of wearing nether garments, early 
 in the eighteenth century, they lived chiefly on 
 cabbage soup, and bacon, and sausages, and even 
 these were cooked in Homeric fashion. It is true, great 
 progress has been made in Russia since 1697, and 
 even since 1815, but no sensible Englishman would 
 think of going to Russia to learn to serve a dinner. 
 I spent much time in Russia, somewhat more than 
 thirty years ago, and lived a great deal among Rus- 
 sians of wealth and position ; but though there was
 
 On Laying out a Table. 93 
 
 profusion and a great expenditure on their dinners, 
 there was nothing like elegance or good taste. The 
 earlier Russian cookery of a century ago was adopted 
 from the Dutch and the Germans, and all that is 
 valuable in the later Russian cookery has been adopted 
 from the French and the English kitchens. 
 
 It results from serving dinners a la Russe in Eng- 
 land that the joints. are frequently mangled, and you 
 receive your portion lukewarm or cold. By carving 
 and serving only one dish at a time also the dinner is 
 unnecessarily prolonged to four hours instead of two 
 and a half or three, and many more servants and 
 attendants are necessary. In Russia this is not an 
 important consideration, for domestic service is per- 
 formed by serfs, who receive merely nominal wages. 
 Another reason against serving dinners a la Russe is, 
 that those costly services of gold and silver plate 
 which nearly every good family in England possesses, 
 are not displayed under the new fashion, which, like 
 crinoline, will have its long reign, and ultimately 
 pass away. 
 
 Utility should be the true principle of beauty, at 
 least in affairs of the table, and, above all, in the sub- 
 stantial first course. A very false taste, is, however, 
 often shown in centre ornaments. Strange ill-assorted 
 nosegays, and bouquets of artificial flowers, begin to 
 droop or look faded among hot steams. Ornamental 
 articles of family plate, carved, chased, or merely 
 plain, can never be out of place, however old-fashioned.
 
 94 On Laying out a Table. 
 
 In desserts, richly-cut glass is ornamental. I am 
 far, also, from proscribing the foliage and moss in 
 which fruits are sometimes seen bedded. The spark- 
 ling imitation of frost-work, which is given to pre- 
 served fruits and other things, is also exceedingly 
 beautiful ; as are many of the trifles belonging to 
 French and Italian confectionary. 
 
 Beautifully white damask, and a green cloth un- 
 derneath, are indispensable. 
 
 In all ranks, and in every family, one important 
 art in housekeeping is to make what remains from 
 one day's entertainment contribute to the elegance or 
 plenty of the next day's dinner. This is a principle 
 understood by persons in the very highest ranks of 
 society in France, who maintain the most splendid 
 and expensive establishments. Vegetables, ragouts, 
 and soups may be rewarmed ; and jellies and blanc- 
 manges remoulded, with no deterioration of their 
 qualities. Savoury or sweet patties, croquets, rissoles, 
 vol-au-vents, fritters, tartlets, &c., may be served 
 almost without cost, where cookery is going forward 
 on a large scale. In the French kitchen, a numerous 
 class of culinary preparations, called entrees de dessert, 
 or made-dishes of left things, are served even at grand 
 entertainments. 
 
 At dinners of any pretension the first course con- 
 sists of soups and fish, removed by boiled poultry, 
 ham, or tongue, roasts, stews, &c. ; and of vegetables, 
 with a few made-dishes, as ragouts, curries, hashes,
 
 On Laying out a Table. 95 
 
 cutlets, patties, fricandeaux, &c., in as great variety as 
 the number of dishes permits. For the second 
 course, roasted poultry or game at the top and bottom, 
 with dressed vegetables, omelets, macaroni, jellies, 
 creams, salads, preserved fruit, and all sorts of sweet 
 things and pastry are employed, endeavouring to give 
 an article of each sort, as a jelly and a cream. This 
 is a more common arrangement than three courses, 
 which are attended with so much additional trouble 
 both to the guests and servants. 
 
 Whether the dinner be of two or three courses it is 
 managed nearly in the same way. Two dishes of fish 
 dressed indifferent ways, if suitable, should occupy the 
 top and bottom ; and two soups, a white and a brown, 
 or a mild and a high-seasoned, are best disposed on each 
 side of the centre-piece : the fish-sauces are placed 
 between the centre-piece and the dish of fish to which 
 each is appropriate ; and this, with the decanted wines 
 drunk during dinner, forms the first course. When 
 there are rare French or Rhenish wines, they are 
 placed in the original bottles, in ornamented wine- 
 vases, between the centre-piece and the top and bot- 
 tom dishes ; or if four kinds, they are ranged round 
 the plateau. If one bottle, it is placed in a vase in 
 the centre. 
 
 The second course at a purely English dinner, 
 when there are three courses, consists of roasts and 
 stews for the top and bottom ; turkey or fowls, or 
 fricandeaux, or ham garnished, or tongue for the sides;
 
 96 On Laying out a Table. 
 
 with small made-dishes for the corners, served in 
 covered dishes, as palates, curry of any kind, ragout or 
 fricassee of rabbits, stewed mushrooms, &c., &c. 
 
 The third course consists of game, confectionary, 
 the more delicate vegetables dressed in the French 
 way, puddings, creams, jellies, etc. 
 
 Caraffes, with the tumblers belonging to and 
 placed over them, are laid at proper intervals. Where 
 hock, champagne, c., &c., are served, they are handed 
 round between the courses. A very bad habit has 
 for some years prevailed of not placing any wine on 
 the table, thus leaving you at the mercy of servants 
 who rarely come round, and then scarcely half-fill 
 your glass. This is meant to be an imitation of the 
 French system, but nothing can be more unlike the 
 system adopted in France. The English imitators, 
 or would-be imitators, wholly forget that a guest at 
 a French table can never languish for lack of wine, 
 for " vin ordinaire" always remains on the table, 
 while only the very highest qualities of wine are 
 handed round by the servants. In England, for many 
 years past, the table is altogether stripped of wine, 
 and the guests are at the mercy of butlers or paid 
 waiters, who use the wine either for their private 
 drinking after the dinner, in the servants' hall, or of 
 hosts who, to save their wine, would stint their 
 guests. When the third course is cleared away, 
 cheese, butter, a fresh salad, or sliced cucumber, are 
 usually handed round: and the finger-glasses precede 
 the dessert. At many tables, particularly in Indian
 
 On laying out a Table. 97 
 
 houses, it is customary merely to hand quickly round 
 a glass vessel or two filled with simple, or simply 
 perfumed tepid water, made by the addition of a little 
 rose or lavender water, or a home-made strained in- 
 fusion of rose-leaves or lavender spikes. Into this 
 water each guest may dip the corner of his napkin, 
 and with it refresh his lips and the tips of his fingers. 
 
 The Dessert, at an English table, may consist 
 merely of two dishes of fine fruit, for the top and 
 bottom ; common or dried fruits, filberts, etc., for the 
 corners or sides, and a cake for the middle, with ice- 
 pails in hot weather. Liqueurs are handed round 
 at this stage ; and the wines usually drank after 
 dinner are placed, decanted, on the table along with 
 the dessert. The ice-pails and plates are removed as 
 soon as the company finish their ice. This may be 
 better understood by following the exact arrange- 
 ment of what is considered a fashionable dinner of 
 three courses and a dessert. 
 
 Memorandum respecting Dinners. To make your 
 Bill of Fare according to the season and the number 
 of your company. When you have two roasts, they 
 should bear no resemblance to each other i.e., one 
 should be white and the other brown. 
 
 It is not in general the custom to place the fish 
 sauces on the table, except in establishments where 
 there is a servant to every guest, but so placed they 
 are always most accessible. It is a great convenience 
 to have the sauce near you when you want it. 
 
 H
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 HOW TO CHOOSE FISH, FLESH, FOWL, AND GAME. 
 
 ISH of all sorts is best when short, thick, 
 well-made, bright in the scales, stiff and 
 springy to the touch, the gills of a fresh 
 red, and the belly not flabby. When 
 the gills are not bright and fresh red-coloured, the 
 fish is not eatable. Salmon, carp, tench, barbel, 
 pike, trout, whiting, &c., when the eyes are sunk, 
 the fins hanging, and the gills grown pale, are not 
 good. 
 
 There is a great difference between salmon in and 
 out of season. If eaten out of season or when stale, 
 this fish is very unwholesome, and the same ob- 
 servation applies to mackerel. It should be remarked 
 that, except in frosty weather, fish rarely keeps more 
 than two or three days. Care should be taken to 
 remove the intestines from fish which is meant to be 
 kept, immediately after they are caught. This rule 
 should be especially observed in reference to whiting, 
 haddock, perch, &c. The livers of these fishes con-
 
 How to Choose Fish, <?. 99 
 
 tain an oil, which, in very warm weather, imparts a 
 rancid and most unpleasant taste to the fish. Soles 
 should never be salted. Mackerel, herrings, and 
 pilchards cannot be dressed too soon. When eaten 
 fresh caught, they are free from that oily taste 
 which they sometimes acquire before they are even 
 half a day out of the water. It may also be gene- 
 rally remarked that neither a carp nor a red-mullet 
 should ever be boiled. 
 
 TURBOT. Choose a turbot by its plumpness, 
 thickness, and colour. It should be very white, fleshy, 
 and firm. Observe whether its surface be covered 
 with a round, swelling grain, an indication of its fine 
 healthy condition. The moderate or even smaller 
 size is to be preferred to the very large, which is al- 
 most always dry, tasteless, and woolly. To be good, 
 it should be plump, and the belly of a fine, opaque, 
 light cream-colour. If of a bluish cast, like water 
 tinged with milk, or thin, they are not good. A tur- 
 bot ought to be bled near the tail as soon as taken, or 
 it will assume a red tinge, impairing its appearance 
 not only in the market, but at table. If necessary, 
 turbot will keep for two or three days, and be in as 
 high perfection as at first, if lightly rubbed over with 
 salt, and carefully hung in a cold place. 
 
 SKATE. The best skate are white and thick ; they 
 should be kept a day or two before you dress them, 
 otherwise they will .eat tough. The she skate is the 
 sweeter, especially if large. Skate is best during
 
 100 How to Choose Fish, 
 
 the autumn and winter. This fish may be eaten 
 either boiled, fried, or stewed. 
 
 There is a great difference in this fish. The flavour 
 and fineness of the skate depend, in a considerable 
 degree, on the locality in which it is taken. It should 
 be broad and thick, prickly on the back, and of a 
 beautiful creamy white. On the north-east coast of 
 Scotland, there is a small skate of a leaden blue 
 colour caught, which is said to be of the most delicate 
 flavour. Care should be taken not to eat skate when 
 out of season. 
 
 OYSTERS. There are in England various species of 
 oysters. The goodness of oysters depends, in a great 
 measure, on the grounds or sea-beds from which they 
 are taken ; but the Colchester, Pyfleet, and Chilford, 
 are generally esteemed superior to all others, being 
 white and flat, yet the others may be made to possess 
 these qualities, in some degree, by being properly 
 fed. The large shelled oysters are never good, for 
 even when fattened they have a strong flavour. The 
 best oysters in Ireland are the Burren and Poldooday, 
 the Carlingford being now extinct. In France the 
 best are found at Cancale, Etretat, and Marennes. 
 In Belgium the best are fished at Ostend. When 
 alive and healthy, the shell closes on the knife. 
 They should be eaten immediately they are opened, 
 or the flavour will be lost. Oysters taken on muddy 
 bottoms, generally have a disagreeable taste, and 
 thin or shrivelled oysters which scarcely fill up their
 
 Flesh, Fowl) and Game. 101 
 
 shell are, for the most part, rank and ill-favoured. 
 Oysters taken in rivers where the waters are affected 
 by copper mines are poisonous. This fish is never fit 
 to be eaten if the shells open naturally. There is a 
 fine-flavoured, delicate small oyster much in vogue 
 at Genoa, and a green finned oyster at Venice, both 
 of which are good. The Irish and foreign oysters 
 possess a fresh, natural, sea-water flavour, generally 
 wanting in the English oyster, which is frequently 
 spoiled by too much feeding and washing. We ad- 
 vise all amateurs of oysters to obtain their supply 
 direct from the boats at Billingsgate before they get 
 into the hands of the retail dealer. 
 
 EELS are taken both in fresh water and the sea. 
 The fresh-water eels are the best, and the silver eel 
 among these should always be preferred. Buy them, 
 if possible, alive, and in order to kill them, divide 
 the spine just behind the head without severing it 
 from the body. They will die almost instantaneously. 
 The freshness of the eel, like the lobster, is known 
 by the vivacity of its motion, and its quality by the 
 colour of the skin. 
 
 LING. It is to be regretted that the ling, one 
 of the finest fishes of the cod tribe, is not oftener 
 brought to Billingsgate Market. It may be eaten 
 fresh or salted, and will well bear transport fresh in 
 the winter season from Cornwall to London. Like 
 the cod, the ling has a fine sound, which may be 
 dressed with the fish or salted. Ling varies in colour
 
 102 How to Choose Fish, 
 
 according to the bank it inhabits. When in good 
 order, the ling is thick about the poll. The white- 
 ness of the liver indicates the good condition of the 
 fish. When out of season the liver is red. 
 
 SMELTS if good, have a fine silvery hue, are very 
 firm, and have a refreshing smell like cucumbers 
 newly cut. They are caught in the Thames, and 
 some other large rivers, and should be eaten within 
 twenty-four hours after being taken. 
 
 SALMON. If new, the flesh is of a fine red (the 
 gills particularly), the scales bright, and the whole 
 fish stiff. When just killed, there is a whiteness 
 between the flakes, which gives great firmness ; 
 by keeping, this melts down, and the fish is more 
 rich. The Thames and Chudchurch salmon bear 
 the highest price ; that caught in the Severn is next 
 in goodness, and is even preferred by some. The best 
 have small heads and are thick in the neck. Look 
 also for a roundness and breadth over the back, and 
 thickness down to the tail-fin. The upper part of 
 the back red and dark-coloured. 
 
 FLOUNDERS. They should be thick, firm, and 
 have their eyes bright. They very soon become flabby 
 and bad. They are both a sea and a river fish. The 
 Thames produces the best. They are in season from 
 January to March, and from July to September. 
 Flounders differ much in quality. There is a flounder 
 with scarlet spots, a very good fish to look at, but 
 which is coarse and woolly in the grain. The best 
 flounders are of a sober greyish colour.
 
 Flesh, Fowl, and Game. 103 
 
 WHITINGS. Always buy whitings fresh. Having 
 gutted them, you can keep them two or three days 
 in a cool place in the winter months. Never pur- 
 chase uncleaned whiting unless it be perfectly fresh 
 out of the water. The firmness of the body and fins 
 is to be looked to, as in herrings ; their high season 
 is during the first three months of the year, but they 
 may be had a great part of it. Whiting is one of 
 the most wholesome of fish, and is so light that phy- 
 sicians recommend it to invalids when more solid 
 nutriment is forbidden. The largest whiting are 
 taken off the coasts of Devon and Cornwall. They 
 are in highest season from Michaelmas to February, 
 shortly after which they begin to cast their spawn. 
 They are again fit for the table by the latter end of 
 May or the beginning of June. 
 
 It is not easy to distinguish the whiting from the 
 codlin, but it is very necessary to be able to do so, 
 as fishmongers have an ugly trick of substituting the 
 one for the other. The codlin, however, has a beard, 
 while the whiting is smooth. 
 
 COD. Cod, skate, maids, and thornback should be 
 in a state fit to crimp, and are so when the fish rises 
 again on being pressed with the finger. There are 
 sixteen different species of cod taken on our coasts ; 
 but the most esteemed is the Dogger Bank cod. 
 
 This fish is best when thick towards the head, with 
 a deep pit just behind it, and the flesh cuts white and 
 clear. The fish should be perfectly stiff. This af- 
 fords a proof of its freshness, and of its eating firm.
 
 104 How to Choose Fish, 
 
 The gills should be very red, and the eyes fresh and 
 bright ; when flabby they are not good. Cod is in- 
 variably good, when the weather is cold, dry, and 
 frosty ; and it is in primest season during the periods 
 London fashionables dine by candle-light namely, 
 from November to March. The larger cod, if in good 
 order, are generally the firmer and better flavoured 
 fish. The smaller cod-fish are, for the most part, 
 flabby and watery, though these defects may be in a 
 measure removed, by sprinkling salt over the fish, a 
 few days before it is cooked. 
 
 STURGEON when good, has a fine blue in its 
 veins and gristle ; a brown or yellowish cast in these 
 parts denote a bad fish; if kept too long this fish 
 has a disagreeable taint. The flesh must be per- 
 fectly white, and must cut without crumbling. 
 
 It is from the roe of the sturgeon that the caviare 
 is composed, though it is sometimes made of the spawn 
 of the grey carp, or the hard roe of the grey mullet. 
 
 HADDOCK bears some resemblance to cod, but 
 may be easily distinguished by the black spot on 
 each shoulder. It is a superior fish ; the flesh is firm, 
 and of a snow-white colour, with a creamy curd be- 
 tween the flakes. The largest haddocks are in general 
 the best, and the larger size keep better than the 
 smaller ones. The finest haddocks are taken in 
 Dublin Bay, and off the coasts of Devon and Corn- 
 wall. Haddocks of all kinds may be almost daily 
 obtained of Grove, Charing Cross. A haddock should
 
 Flesh, Fowl, and Game. 105 
 
 be chosen like a cod, by the thickness and depth of 
 the body, and fulness at the poll. The freshness of 
 a haddock may be ascertained by the redness of the 
 gills and brightness of the eyes. 
 
 SOLE. A sole should be chosen in the same manner 
 as a turbot. The smallest soles are of the sweetest 
 and best flavour for frying. If you wish to boil your 
 fish, choose a large Dover or Torbay sole. They are 
 in season nearly the whole year, but are best at Mid- 
 summer. Soles are usually skinned on the dark side 
 only ; the scales on the white side should be carefully 
 removed, which is often done in a very slovenly 
 manner, and sometimes omitted altogether. The 
 soles of the west of England and of Ireland, are 
 quite different from the sole sent to the London 
 market, being a much richer and thicker fish, with a 
 black skin. For invalids or persons of a delicate 
 stomach, the smaller and whiter sole is preferable. 
 If the sole come to market, gutted and packed, by 
 land-carriage, you must judge of the freshness by 
 the smell. The best proof of their freshness, how- 
 ever, is the transparency of the slime on the dark 
 side, through which the fine scales may be easily seen, 
 and by a frothy appearance in the slime on the lower 
 side ; but this fish, if gutted, may be kept good long 
 after these marks have disappeared. 
 
 Salmon, haddock, whiting, and all other fish, 
 whether of the sea, pond, or river, may be judged, as 
 to freshness, by the red, lively colour of the gills, the
 
 106 How to Choose Fish, 
 
 brightness of the eye, the clearness and regular un- 
 disturbed position of the scales, and a plumpness of 
 body, amounting to stiffness. A dead eye, livid gills, 
 and flabby condition of the flesh, are sure signs that 
 the fish is stale. 
 
 LAMPREYS. The sea and the river lamprey, or 
 lampern, are easily distinguishable, not only by their 
 size, but by their colour. The sea lamprey is of a 
 rusty, mottled colour, whilst the river lamprey is of 
 the colour of the common eel, or a shade darker. 
 The sea lamprey is also considerably larger than the 
 river, sometimes weighing as much as five or six 
 pounds, whilst the river lamprey seldom exceeds 
 twelve inches in length, and seldom exceeds from 
 half a pound to a pound, or a pound and a quarter in 
 weight. River lampreys are excellent, either stewed, 
 potted, or in pies. Some there are who fry them ; 
 but they are generally sent up from Worcester in a 
 prepared sauce, in order to be stewed, which is the 
 preferable mode of eating them. They are, it must 
 be confessed, a more agreeable than wholesome food. 
 Henry I. died from a surfeit of them. The lamprey 
 is in the most perfect season during the months of 
 April and May. 
 
 RED ' MULLET. This fish is called the woodcock 
 of the sea. It is so choice in its food, that, like that 
 bird, it is cooked without drawing. It is in prime 
 season during the heats of summer, and is therefore 
 difficult to obtain fresh. When the red mullet is first
 
 Fleshy Fowl, and Game. 107 
 
 taken out of the water, it is of an exquisite rose- 
 colour, varying in lighter tints. When dead, and some' 
 time out of water, it assumes a brownish tinge ; as it 
 becomes more stale, the colour grows paler. Redness 
 of the gills is in this, as in most other fish, a criterion 
 of freshness. Red mullets require to be carefully 
 packed ; if pressed on by other fish they are apt to 
 burst. They should be eaten, if possible, on the day 
 on which they are taken out of the water ; for though 
 they may be perfectly sweet and wholesome on the 
 following day, yet their livers, by keeping, will have 
 become soft, and will no longer have that delicate 
 flavour which they would have possessed if dressed 
 on the day they were taken. 
 
 PILCHARDS. The pilchard is an exquisite fish of 
 the herring tribe. It is somewhat rounder than the 
 herring. The portion of the back-fin, too, is placed 
 more forward in the pilchard. The criterion of fresh- 
 ness is the same as in the herring. Pilchards are in 
 season whenever they are to be met with. They 
 are best when boiled with their scales on without 
 gutting. 
 
 WHITEBAIT are in season in July, August, and 
 September. 
 
 PLAICE and FLOUNDERS to be good, should be 
 stiff, and have a full eye. The plaice is best when 
 the belly has a bluish cast. 
 
 HERRINGS and MACKEREL are unfit for the 
 table when faded, wrinkled, or pliable in the tail.
 
 108 How to Choose Fish, 
 
 The freshness of mackerel may be ascertained by the 
 stiffness of the body and the prismatic brilliancy of 
 its colours. When they are out of condition, they 
 have got what is called the "rogue's mark," are long 
 and thin made, with a sharp belly wanting in ful- 
 ness. When fresh, the sides and belly are bright and 
 silvery, the body is stiff, and the skin devoid of 
 wrinkle. They are in season from June till Novem- 
 ber. Their gills should be of a fine red, and their 
 eyes bright, and the whole fish should be stiff and 
 firm. Herrings should not be too frequently par- 
 taken of when they first come into season. They 
 have then a peculiar richness, which even affects the 
 stomach of the strongest fisherman. The freshness 
 of herrings and sprats is ascertained by the bright- 
 ness of the scales. 
 
 LOBSTER should be chosen by its weight, alert- 
 ness, and fresh smell ; by the tail, which when newly 
 caught, will be stiff and springy, and the firmness of 
 its sides. The heaviest are the best, if there be no 
 water in them. If you desire a cock lobster, select 
 that which has a narrow back part of the tail, with the 
 two uppermost fins within. The tail should be hard 
 and stiff like a bone. The back of the hen isjsoft, 
 and is invariably broader: her fins are also soft. 
 Before selecting, carefully smell a lobster. If stale, 
 it may be easily known by a heavy, muggy smell. 
 Crabs, prawns, and shrimps, may be chosen in the 
 same manner. Always choose the largest and hea-
 
 Flesh, Fowl, and Game. 109 
 
 viest crab you can find. These shell-fish, if kept 
 more than one day, will become bad. The colour of 
 stale shell-fish fades, becoming blackish and dark if 
 naturally red. They also, when stale, become pliable 
 in their claws and joints. 
 
 JoHN-DoRY. This is one of the very best fishes 
 in the sea. They are found in greatest abundance 
 on the southern coasts of Devon and Cornwall. They 
 sometimes weigh as much as twelve pounds, but the 
 greater proportion are not half that size. The larger 
 dories are in best season from September to Christ- 
 mas, but are good eating at all times. They keep well, 
 but should be gutted, otherwise the flesh acquires an 
 unpleasant taste. The choicest morsels are to be 
 found over the collar-bones, and about the head of 
 this fish. Larger dories are best boiled ; the smaller 
 ones may be fried. The flesh is of a fine clear white 
 when dressed, with the exception of that part cover- 
 ing the fins, which is of a brownish colour. 
 
 VENISOX should be thick and firm in the fat, and 
 the lean pure. The age of the deer, as well as of hares 
 and rabbits, is known by the clefts and claws being 
 close and smooth in the young animal. 
 
 Try the haunches or shoulders, under the bones 
 that come out, with the finger or knife, and as the 
 scent is sweet or rank, it is new or stale ; and the 
 like may be said of the sides in the fleshy parts ; if 
 tainted, they will look green in some places, or more 
 than ordinarily black.
 
 110 How to Choose Fish, 
 
 Few people like venison when it has much of the 
 haut gout. 
 
 The buck venison begins in May, and is in high 
 season till Allhallows-day : the doe, from Michael- 
 mas to the end of December, or sometimes to the 
 end of January. 
 
 The best joints of the best meat cost most money 
 at first, but are most economical. All stale meat 
 may be known by the eyes being sunk, the kidney 
 tainted, and the flesh white. 
 
 All provisions should be bought with ready money, 
 or the bills settled weekly; this will effect a saving 
 of twenty per cent, to the housekeeper. 
 
 BEEF. The finest ox beef may be known from 
 having a smooth, open grain, an agreeable carnation 
 colour, delicately marbled with streaks of fat, the 
 flesh should look red, and the suet white ; and if 
 young, it will be tender, and of an oily smoothness. 
 The colour of the fat should be rather white than 
 yellow. Yellow fat indicates that the beast has been 
 fed on oil-cake. Cow beef is not so open in its grain, 
 nor is the red of so pleasant a colour, but the fat is 
 much whiter. It may be also distinguished by the 
 udder, when dressed on the whole or in quarters. 
 You may know whether or not it is young, by making 
 an impression on the lean with your finger, which 
 mark, if young, will soon disappear. The sweetest 
 and best-flavoured beef is that of the small Scotch 
 bullock, when fed on English pasture, or the short-
 
 Flesh, Fowl, and Game. Ill 
 
 horned Devon. Northampton and Leicestershire 
 beef is large, and the flavour is not fine. 
 
 Bull beef should never be purchased, being clammy, 
 rank, and more closely grained than other beef. The 
 colour is a dusky red, and the flesh tough in pinch- 
 ing. The fat is rank, skinny, and hard. 
 
 MUTTON is not good under three years old ; 
 younger, it is turgid and pale. The best is above 
 five ; but it is seldom to be got in the market of that 
 age. The black-faced, or short sheep are best for 
 the table, though more depends on the pasture than 
 on the breed. 
 
 Mutton fed on mountains ,and downs, where the 
 herbage is short and fine, is better than that fed on rich 
 pasture. Always, therefore, choose the Dartmoor, the 
 small Welsh, the South Down, or Scotch Highland 
 mutton. Some of the largest and fattest sheep are 
 produced in Leicestershire, and the marshes of Kent, 
 but the smaller mutton is to be preferred. The flesh 
 of the wether should always be preferred to that of 
 the ewe. Hill wether mutton, from four to seven 
 years old, is far the best whether for boiling or roast- 
 ing. Choose it short in the shank, thick in the thigh, 
 and of a pure, healthy, brownish red, with the flesh 
 marbled. 
 
 Pinch the flesn with your fingers ; if it regains its 
 former state in a short time, the mutton is young, 
 but otherwise it is old, and the fat will be clammy 
 and fibrous. If it be ram mutton, the flavour of
 
 112 How to Choose Fish, 
 
 which is disagreeable and strong, the grain will be 
 close, the lean tough and of a deep red colour ; it 
 will not rise when pinched, and the fat will be spongy. 
 The test of excellence in this meat is that it does not 
 fly from the knife when cut, but rather closes upon 
 it. Carefully observe the vein in the neck of mutton 
 or lamb; if it look ruddy or bluish, the meat is 
 fresh, but if yellowish, is decaying, and if green, com- 
 pletely tainted. The hind-quarter may be judged of 
 from the kidney and knuckle. If you find a faint smell 
 under the kidney, or the knuckle is unusually limp, 
 the meat is stale. That mutton and lamb will always 
 prove the best, the legs and shoulders of which are 
 short-shanked. 
 
 LAMB. In the choice of lamb, observe the eye, 
 which should be bright and full ; if it be sunk and 
 wrinkled, the meat is stale. 
 
 Grass lamb comes into season in April or May, 
 and continues till August. House lamb may be had 
 in great towns almost all the year, but is in highest 
 perfection in December and January. 
 
 VEAL. The whitest veal in England is not the 
 most juicy, having been made so by frequent bleed- 
 ing. The French veal of Pontoise is finer than the 
 English. The whiteness is produced by feeding the 
 animal on milk and biscuits. The calf is there 
 brought to market in a covered van. 
 
 Veal should be fat, and white, and young ; the 
 mode of feeding is of great importance. Examine
 
 Flesh, Fowl, and Game. 113 
 
 the kidney, the state of which will show the feeding 
 and condition of all animals. 
 
 Veal, when stale, generally becomes flabby and 
 clammy. The flesh of the cow-calf is not of so bright 
 a red, nor so firmly grained as that of the bull-calf, 
 neither is the fat so much curdled. The shoulder 
 may be known by the vein in it, which if it be not 
 of a bright red, is surely stale, and if any green spots 
 appear about it, totally unfit for use. Should the 
 neck or breast appear yellowish at the upper end, or 
 the sweetbread clammy, it is not good. In the choice 
 of this meat, one of the best indications is that the 
 kidney be covered with a white dense fat. 
 
 The loin may be known by smelling under the 
 kidney, which always taints first, and becomes pu- 
 trescent, and the fat in that case loses its firm con- 
 sistence. The leg may be known by the joint, which 
 if it be limp, and the flesh clammy, with green or 
 yellow spots, is unfit for use. 
 
 The head, if new and sweet, must have the eyes 
 plump and lively, but if they are sunk or wrinkled, 
 it is not good. 
 
 This rule applies also to the head of the sheep or 
 lamb. The greatest quantity of veal consumed in 
 London is brought from Essex, which may be called 
 the Pontoise of England. 
 
 PORK. A thin rind is a good indication in all 
 pork ; a thick, tough one, not easily impressed with 
 the finger, is a sign of age. 
 
 i
 
 1 14 Hoio to Choose Fish, 
 
 When you purchase a leg, a hand, or a spring, 
 take especial care that the flesh is cool and smooth, 
 for if otherwise it is certainly stale ; but particularly 
 put your finger under the bone that comes out, and 
 if the flesh be tainted, you will immediately discover 
 it by smelling your finger. The lean of young pork 
 will break on being pinched. Measly pork is easily 
 distinguishable from sound by the fat being full of 
 kernels. London is supplied with the best pork by 
 the dairy farms in Essex. 
 
 When you purchase a sucking-pig, remember that 
 the barrow, or sow, is better than the boar, the flesh 
 of which is neither so sweet nor so tender. Smell 
 carefully at the belly, and examine about the tail, and 
 if it has no disagreeable odour, nor any yellow and 
 green spots in those parts, the pig is as good as you 
 could desire ; but you will in general find that the 
 short, thick necks are the best. 
 
 As to bacon and ham, observe whether the smell 
 be fresh, and see that the fat and lean be clear, and 
 not streaked with yellow. 
 
 In marketing for bacon, observe also whether the 
 fat feels oily, appears white, and does not crumble, 
 and that the flesh bears a good colour, and adheres 
 closely to the bone, in which case only the bacon is 
 good. The best bacon comes from Hampshire, but 
 much sold as Hampshire is Buckinghamshire and 
 Irish bacon. The bacon of Yorkshire, Cumberland, 
 and Gloucestershire is good. 
 
 With respect to hams, you should select one with
 
 Flesh, Fowl, and Game. 115 
 
 a short shank, and try it with a sharp-pointed knife, 
 which thrust into the flesh as near the pope's eye as 
 possible. If it come out only a little smeared, and 
 smells well, you may be assured that the ham is good, 
 but if it be daubed, and have a fetid smell, it is good 
 for nothing. When freshly cured, and not over salted, 
 a ham may be trimmed, and wrapped in a coarse paste, 
 and will be found more juicy, and of finer flavour 
 baked than boiled. York, Cumberland, "Westmore- 
 land, and Gloucestershire, are famous for their hams ; 
 but a great proportion of the hams now sold as York- 
 shire, are Irish. 
 
 The Strasbourg bacon is highly smoked, and has a 
 delicious flavour, but is excessively dear. It may 
 be obtained at any of the Italian oil-shops; where 
 Bayonne and Westphalia hams can also be purchased. 
 The latter are now imported in large quantities, and 
 may be purchased so low as eightpence per pound ; 
 but they are no longer prepared with the care and 
 perfection bestowed on them when they were sold at 
 fourteenpence per pound. Spanish and Portuguese 
 hams have also been introduced into the English 
 markets, and though the latter are of an ungraceful 
 and awkward shape, they are good in colour and 
 flavour. Bacon should always be twice salted, and 
 patiently rubbed both times. All meat salted in 
 pieces and packed must be entirely covered with the 
 brine. 
 
 FOWLS. As to poultry, it may generally be re- 
 marked, that barn-door fowls are preferable to those
 
 116 How to Choose Fish, 
 
 fed in coops. Much experience and observation are 
 requisite in forming a judgment of the freshness and 
 goodness of fowls. Any appearance of greenness about 
 the rump is a sure sign of putrescence. The Poland 
 breed of fowls is the largest. Dorking, in Surrey, and 
 Epping, in Essex, are alike famed for good poultry. 
 Bethnal Green and Mile End fatten much poultry 
 for Leadenhall-market, but it is inferior to barn-door 
 fowl. Good fowls are short, plump, broad in the 
 breast, and thick in the rump. A hen is old if her 
 legs and comb be rough, but young if they are smooth. 
 You may also judge of the freshness by her vent, in 
 the same manner as the cock. Young poultry may 
 be distinguished by the pellucid appearance, and pe- 
 culiar feel of the flesh, and by the flexibility of the 
 breast-bone. Many poulterers, aware of this, take 
 care to break the breast-bone of every fowl they ex- 
 pose for sale. It may be here remarked that the 
 poularde of France, from Mans, in the department 
 of the Sarthe, is superior to any English fowl what- 
 ever. 
 
 GEESE. As to geese, the feet and bill of a young 
 goose are yellow ; they turn red as the bird grows 
 old. It has but few hairs on the feet; when old, 
 however, the feet become hairy. If fresh, the feet 
 are supple ; but if stale, dry and stiff. Great quan- 
 tities of geese come to London from Devonshire, 
 Lincolnshire, Buckinghamshire, &c. In France the 
 greatest number are reared in the Gironde. The 
 quantity of geese reared in France is almost incre-
 
 Flesh, Fowl, and Game. 117 
 
 dible. The minister of the interior, Chaptal, states 
 that 120,000, destined to be fattened, were annually- 
 sold in the market of Toulouse alone. 
 
 The wild ducks from the coast those feeding on 
 what they can get from the salt water and the lands 
 contiguous are often tough and fishy, though some 
 of them may be found tender, but not quite free from 
 the fishy flavour. These are the birds which, with 
 widgeons and teal, are hawked about in the streets of 
 London, and sold sometimes at from eighteenpence 
 to half-a-crown a couple, according to the powers of 
 eloquence of the vendor, and the powers of gulli- 
 bility of the purchaser, who can generally, if he has 
 any experience, obtain them for one half the price at 
 first demanded. 
 
 WILD DUCK. Of the many varieties of wild 
 ducks, those with red legs are held in the highest 
 estimation. 
 
 The best wild ducks are those from the fens of 
 Lincolnshire, taken by decoys. The same species is 
 found in the Campagna of Rome. They are esteemed 
 a great delicacy at the Roman tables about Christ- 
 mas time. They are wholly free from rankness and 
 a fishy taste, and are of a fine, rich gamey flavour. 
 Wild ducks are to be purchased, when in season, at 
 the shops of all the respectable poulterers in London, 
 and at a very reasonable price. 
 
 WIDGEON. The widgeon, which is a smaller bird 
 of the duck species, is not so good as the wild duck. 
 It is coarse, often fishy, rank, and rough, and is not
 
 118 How to Choose Fish, 
 
 fit to appear at a dinner of any pretension, except in 
 the form of a truffled saute. 
 
 TEAL. The teal, the smallest of the tribe, is much 
 superior, and forms a recherche roast even among the 
 most difficult to please of the knights of the dinner- 
 table. Teal and widgeon are supple-footed when 
 fresh, but stiff and dry-footed when stale. If fat, 
 they are thick and hard on the belly, and lean if thin 
 and soft. 
 
 DUCK. A tame duck and the remark applies 
 also to a wild duck when fat and young, is thick 
 and hard on the belly, and is old when lean and thin. 
 When fresh, the foot is pliable, but dry, if stale. 
 Observe, that the foot of the best wild duck is red, 
 and of the great majority of wild ducks reddish, and 
 that it is less than that of a tame duck. 
 
 PARTRIDGE. Partridges, when young, have yel- 
 lowish and dark-coloured bills. This bird taints first 
 in the crop, therefore you should open its bill and 
 smell. Next, examine the bill, legs, and vent ; if the 
 bill be white, and the legs have a bluish cast, the 
 bird is old ; but if the bill is black, and the legs 
 yellow, it is young. If the vent be fast, it is new ; 
 but stale, if open and green. In France, the red- 
 legged partridge is the most esteemed ; but all par- 
 tridges in that country are inferior to the English : 
 they are dry and flavourless, and want the juice and 
 succulence of the English game. 
 
 SNIPE. A snipe is chosen in the same manner 
 as the woodcock; but the snipe, when fresh is fat
 
 Flesh, Fowl, and Game. 119 
 
 in the side, under the wing, and feels thick in the 
 vent. 
 
 TURKEY. The legs of a cock turkey should be 
 black and smooth, its spurs short, the feet limber, and 
 the eyes lively ; but if the eyes are sunk and the feet 
 dry, the bird is stale. The hen is chosen in the same 
 manner, only observe, that if she is with egg, the vent 
 will be soft and open, but if not, close and hard. 
 
 The county of Norfolk has the reputation of breed- 
 ing the finest turkeys. They are in season from 
 November to March, at which period they are suc- 
 ceeded by turkey poults. The number of turkeys 
 and fowls produced in France is much greater, mak- 
 ing all allowance for the size and superficial extent of 
 the country, than in England. Nearly half a cen- 
 tury ago, according to Chaptal, minister of the inte- 
 rior, the capital embarked in the poultry trade in 
 France, amounted to 51,600,000 francs. 
 
 RABBIT. A rabbit has long rough claws, and 
 grey hairs intermixed with its wool if it be old ; but 
 when young, the wool and claws are smooth. If 
 stale it is supple, and the flesh bluish, with a kind of 
 slime upon it; but if fresh it will be stiff, and the 
 flesh white and dry. 
 
 HARE. A hare and leveret are thus chosen : if 
 the claws of a hare are blunt and rugged, the division 
 in the lip spread much, and the ears appear dry and 
 tough, and the bones hard, it is old ; but if the claws 
 are sharp and smooth, the division in the lip not 
 greatly spread, and the ears will easily tear, it is
 
 1 20 How to Choose Fish, 
 
 young. If fresh killed, the flesh of both will be white 
 and stiff; but if stale, supple and blackish in many 
 places. To discover a true leveret, feel near the foot 
 on its fore leg, and if you find there a knob, or small 
 bony protuberance, it is a real leveret, but if desti- 
 tute of this, it must be a hare. 
 
 HEATHCOCK. The heathcock and hen when 
 young have smooth legs and bills, which become 
 rough when old. You may judge of their freshness 
 in the same manner as you do of the pheasant. 
 
 WHEATEAR. The delicate bird called a wheatear 
 is fresh, if it has a limber foot and fat rump : other- 
 wise it is stale. 
 
 PHEASANT. A young cock-pheasant has dubbed 
 spurs, but if old, the spurs will be sharp and small. 
 If the vent be fast, the bird is fresh ; but if it be open 
 and flabby, stale. If a hen, and young, the legs will 
 be smooth, and her flesh of a fine grain ; but if old, her 
 legs will be rough, and, as it were, hairy, when pulled. 
 
 Pheasants and heath-poults are fresh when their 
 feet are limber, and their vents are white and stiff ; 
 but are stale when they are dry-footed, have green 
 vents, and will peel, if touched hard. 
 
 PIGEONS. Pigeons when they grow red-legged 
 are old, and are stale when their vents are flabby and 
 green. If fresh, they will be limber-footed, and feel 
 fat in the vent. 
 
 By this rule you may judge of all kinds of doves, 
 fieldfares, thrushes, blackbirds, plovers, larks, &c.
 
 Flesh, Fowl, and Game. 121 
 
 WOODCOCK. The woodcock, if stale, will be dry- 
 footed ; and if bad, its nose will be racist ; but if new 
 and fat, it will be limber-footed, thick, and hard. 
 
 CAPON. A capon is known by a short and pale 
 comb, a thick rump and belly, and a fat vein on the 
 side of the breast ; when young, the spurs will be 
 short and blunt, and the legs smooth ; and if fresh, the 
 vent will be close and hard ; but if stale, loose ; which 
 last remark may be applied to cocks and hens. 
 
 COCK. A cock when young has short and dubbed 
 spurs, but it should be observed that the spurs of old 
 cocks may be scraped so as to deceive any but a very 
 accurate observer. If fresh his vent will be hard and 
 close ; but you cannot be too particular in observing 
 the spurs, as the market people frequently scrape 
 them. 
 
 EGGS. As to eggs, hold the great end of the egg 
 to your tongue ; if it feels warm, it is new ; if cold, 
 bad ; and so in proportion to the heat or cold is the 
 goodness of the egg. Another way to know is to put 
 the egg in a pan of cold water, the fresher the egg, 
 the sooner it will fall to the bottom ; if rotten, it 
 will swim at the top. This is a sure way not to be 
 deceived. The best way to keep eggs is in bran or 
 meal, turning them frequently ; some, however, place 
 the small end downwards in fine wood-ashes : to keep 
 them for a long period they may be buried in salt, 
 which it is said will preserve them in almost any 
 climate.
 
 122 How to Choose Fish, Sfc. 
 
 BUTTER. When you buy butter, trust not to that 
 which may be good in external appearance, but try 
 in the middle, and if your smell and taste be good, 
 you cannot be deceived. 
 
 CHEESE. If old cheese be rough-coated, rugged, 
 or dry at top, beware of little worms called hoppers, 
 and also of mites, a still smaller animal. If it be full 
 of holes, moist, or spongy, hoppers may also be ex- 
 pected to be found in it. If any crack or any soft and 
 perished place appear on the outside, examine into 
 its depth, for the greater part may be hidden within. 
 Cheese is to be chosen by its moist smooth coat. A. fat 
 cheese, if of much size, has generally rounded edges, 
 and the sides are swelled out more or less ; although 
 excessive swelling out of the sides is not a good sign ; 
 neither is an elevation of the top desirable. A poor 
 cheese has usually keen edges, and the sides are 
 straight. Fat cheese may also be known by rubbing 
 a small portion of it between the finger and thumb : 
 if it soon becomes smooth and soft, melting as it 
 were on the finger by the animal heat, it is fat ; but 
 if it remains tough and crumbly, it is not rich nor of 
 prime quality. No cheese should be chosen which 
 has the surface much swelled, such swelling being an 
 indication of its containing holes and being badly 
 made, and that it has most probably also an unplea- 
 sant smell and taste. Besides these indications, no 
 cheese should be purchased without being both tasted 
 and smelled.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ON SOUPS AND BROTHS. 
 
 T every great dinner indeed I may say 
 at every dinner of the least pretension 
 in the most civilised countries you be- 
 gin by eating soup. Often in Paris and 
 at Brussels, between September and April, at dinners 
 at restaurants, you also commence by half a dozen, 
 a dozen, or eighteen oysters by way of appetiser ; 
 but this practice is not resorted to at formal dinners, 
 or, as the French say, diners cCapparat, in private 
 houses ; though if three or four intimate friends are 
 dining together sans faqon, oysters may be, and often 
 are, introduced before the soup. In -Russia the custom 
 is to take caviare, or a slice of raw or pickled herring 
 before soup, which relish is followed by a glass of 
 Cognac or some liqueur. But these are customs not 
 likely to be introduced into more civilized countries; 
 customs, moreover, quite repugnant to English 
 habits. 
 . The basis of nearly every soup is a stock or broth
 
 124 Soups and Broths. 
 
 called by the French a grand bouillon. The best way 
 of making this stock is by boiling, or rather stewing 
 down a sufficient quantity of properly prepared and 
 washed beef in a marmite, or iron or earthen pot, or 
 stewpan. The water must be judiciously apportioned 
 to the quantity of meat. The French, who make the 
 best bouillon in the world, generally pour a quart of 
 water, on half a kilogramme (equivalent to about 
 a pound) of meat, and let it simmer from five-and-a- 
 half to six hours. When the liquid is sufficiently 
 diminished to receive the vegetables, a few young 
 carrots, an onion with a couple of cloves stuck in it, 
 a parsnip, a little celery and a bunch of thyme and 
 parsley are added. The water should be cold, and 
 seasoned with a little salt. The pot or earthen vessel 
 should be placed on a clear fire, and allowed to remain 
 till the liquid is diminished a third. This bouillon is 
 the basis of most soups, and it is called a consomme 
 when a large fowl or the half of a turkey is added. 
 Some cooks use old partridges or pigeons instead of 
 fowls. It is an axiom in cookery, however, that at 
 least two sorts of meat are necessary to make a good 
 bouillon. When the bouillon is skimmed it serves as 
 the stock for all kinds of soup. It cannot be too 
 often stated that the basis of all soup, and indeed of 
 all broth, except mutton, should be juicy young beef 
 and pure soft water. It should be remembered that 
 the trimmings and the bones of fresh meat, the necks 
 of poultry, the liquor in which a joint has been boiled,
 
 Soups and Broths. 125 
 
 and the shank-bones of mutton, are excellent addi- 
 tions to the stock-pot, and should be reserved for it. 
 As soup is the food of childhood and old age, it 
 should be restorative and nourishing. The great de- 
 fect of English soups is, not the want of meat, but 
 the want of a proper boiling or concoction. This 
 radical fault is vilely but vainly attempted to be sup- 
 plied by the excessive use of seasoning and herbs. 
 The following elementary rules for making nourish- 
 ing broth, are from the French of Parmentier : 
 
 I. Sound, healthful, fresh viands. 
 II. Vessels of earthenware in preference to those 
 of metal, as a less degree of heat keeps them 
 boiling ; and once heated, a few hot cinders 
 will maintain that slight degree of ebullition 
 which is wanted. 
 
 III. Double the weight of water to that of the meat 
 
 used. 
 
 IV. A sufficient quantity of common salt to facilitate 
 
 the separation of the blood and slime that co- 
 agulates under the form of scum. 
 V. In the early stage of the process, such a degree 
 
 of heat as will throw off the whole scum. 
 VI. A lower, but an equable temperature, that the 
 soup may simmer gently till the substances 
 employed, whether nutritive, colouring, or 
 flavouring, are perfectly combined with the 
 water, according to their several degrees of 
 solubility.
 
 126 Soups and Broths. 
 
 Great care should be taken to have all the utensils 
 clean. Pots, saucepans, and stewpans, should be well 
 tinned, especially for soups and gravies, as they are 
 obliged to remain a long time upon the fire. What- 
 ever is boiled in a brass or copper pot, should be taken 
 out while it is hot; if left to cool, it would have a 
 disagreeable taste, and be very unwholesome. As a 
 convincing proof of this, if the liquor that any kind 
 of meat is boiled in remains in the pot till the next 
 day, the fat at the top will be quite green, and the 
 liquor of course very pernicious. Iron pots, sauce- 
 pans, &c., are the most wholesome, but they spoil the 
 colour of many articles of cookery, and therefore are 
 not much used ; but they are useful for anything that 
 would not be discoloured. Pots lined with earthen- 
 ware are certainly preferable to any other kind, but 
 they are very expensive. 
 
 The broth to be used for soups and gravies should 
 be kept separate ; because thelDroth of the stock-pot, 
 being required for white as well as brown sauces, 
 should not be coloured ; whilst that for soups, unless 
 they be white soups, should always be made brown. 
 If, however, you have more coloured broth than you 
 require for soup, you may apply it to making brown 
 gravies. 
 
 An excellent stock-pot may be produced with all 
 the bones you can collect, carcasses, and the under 
 or claw-legs of poultry or game all bones and 
 parings, in short, of flesh and fowl. Put them into
 
 Soups and Broths. 127 
 
 a large pipkin with water ; or if you have the liquor 
 in which beef, or mutton, or veal, has been boiled, 
 use it in preference. To this you may add, if you 
 have it, a few ladlefuls of the water in which a ham 
 has been boiled, first skimming off the fat. With 
 the bones, put a bunch of leeks, a bunch of green 
 celery, an onion with three cloves stuck into it, a 
 couple of carrots, a turnip, a bit of parsnip, some 
 salt, a bunch of herbs, and two or three sheep's melts. 
 A small quantity of sugar will also greatly improve 
 the flavour of stock, and indeed of all rich soups. 
 Let the whole stew simmer very slowly during seven 
 or eight hours, keeping it closely covered all the 
 while. Season it with a little salt. When reduced 
 to a good consommee, and you are satisfied with its 
 flavour, strain it through a sieve, and put it by for use. 
 
 This broth, if required, may be used for making 
 white soups. 
 
 All soups should be closely covered during their 
 boiling, by which the heat will be very much econo- 
 mised. There may be, however, occasionally some 
 deviations from this course, which must depend upon 
 the discretion of the cook. In making soups and 
 broths, stale as well as fat meat should be avoided ; 
 the first will impart an ill taste, and the last will be 
 attended with considerable waste. 
 
 Of the kinds that will keep are brown soup, hare 
 soup, soup of game of any kind, giblet soup, and 
 generally all soups made of the meat of animals of
 
 128 Soups and Broths. 
 
 mature growth. Soups into which vegetables and 
 young meats enter in any quantity, are best when 
 fresh made, as these things have a strong tendency 
 to ferment. This also applies to veal and fish soups. 
 This tendency may be partly checked by boiling 
 them up, or changing the vessels. 
 
 The best meat soups are, beyond question, those 
 which are made from the lean alone, without much, 
 if any, fat. 
 
 In making pea-soup with dry peas, soft water should 
 be used ; with green peas, hard water, which contri- 
 butes to the preservation of their colour. 
 
 A soup should never be permitted to grow cold in 
 the vessel in which it has been boiled. If not imme- 
 diately wanted, it should be poured out into a clean 
 pan; one made of stoneware is the best, as neither 
 salts nor acids will act upon it, a consideration of es- 
 sential importance. While cooling, the soup should 
 not be covered over; nor indeed is it desirable to 
 cover soup after it is cold, except with a hair sieve. 
 It facilitates the operation, if meat for soup or gravy 
 be cut into pieces of about half a pound each, and 
 improves both the flavour and colour, if the meat, 
 onions, and carrots be stewed at the bottom of the 
 soup-pot or digester, before the water is added to it, 
 with a bit of butter to prevent burning. 
 
 To this previous drawing out of the juices without 
 much or any water, much of the superiority of French 
 soups is to be attributed. Some French cooks, to re-
 
 Soups and Broths. 129 
 
 gulate the flavour of soups more exactly, boil the 
 roots, herbs, and vegetables separately to a mash, and 
 then squeeze them and add the juice till the desired 
 flavour is obtained. 
 
 As long boiling is necessary to make good soup, 
 particularly where the whole or the greater part of 
 the virtues of butchers' meat are to be extracted, it 
 will be necessary to add more water from time to 
 time as it boils away ; and, in order to save time, it 
 will be best to add the water boiling, or, at least, 
 very hot to the soup. In the addition of herbs, other 
 vegetables, or condiments, care should be taken that 
 they are in such quantities that no one may predo- 
 minate, unless, as is sometimes the case with celery 
 or onion, it is desired that there should be a predo- 
 minancy of a particular flavour. 
 
 As celery is so generally used to flavour soups, the 
 cook should know that, when the root is scarce, the 
 seeds bruised and added to the soup a few minutes 
 only before it is served up, will flavour it well ; indeed 
 the seeds will be generally found superior to the root 
 for the purpose of flavouring. Boiling the seeds, 
 however, for a long time, will dissipate their essential 
 oil on which their flavour chiefly depends. This ob- 
 servation applies with equal force to all spices, the 
 long boiling of which, in open vessels, must neces- 
 sarily dissipate their oils in which their good qualities 
 reside : indeed, sometimes a few drops of their es- 
 
 K
 
 130 Soups and Broths. 
 
 sential oil, as of cinnamon or cassia, will supply the 
 place of the spice itself. 
 
 The boiling of poultry and game in the stock-pot 
 is a practice very common abroad. When stewed 
 enough to be tender, they should be served imme- 
 diately with a good sauce. 
 
 In regard to broths, some of the general directions 
 concerning boiling must be carefully attended to, as 
 well as the preceding observations on the preparation 
 of soups. Broth may be made from the coarsest 
 pieces of meat, and of any strength, by adapting the 
 water to the quantity of meat, and by sufficient 
 simmering. To make the broth good the meat should 
 always be simmered till it is tender, and will separate 
 without difficulty from the bones. In every case, as 
 well of broth as of soup, in order to obtain them 
 with the least boiling, and consequently most econo- 
 mically, the meat should be cut into small pieces, 
 the bones, if large, broken, and the joints, such as 
 those in a neck of mutton, separated, unless the meat 
 be wanted to be served up with the broth or other- 
 wise as a whole joint. 
 
 Broth, I may safely say, is the essence and founda- 
 tion of all cookery. Among our neighbours, the 
 French, the broth-pot, or pot-au-feu, may be said to be 
 the substratum of the cookery of the middle and work- 
 ing classes. To them it yields a substantial nourish- 
 ment. Any parings or trimmings of meat will serve 
 to make the first broth, provided the scum and fat be
 
 Soups and Broths. 131 
 
 carefully removed. If this be not sedulously attended 
 to, the broth will be too highly coloured to mix with 
 the sauce. Those, therefore, who are charged with 
 the stock-pots should skim them slowly over a gentle 
 fire, adding at intervals a little cold water, that the 
 scum may rise more copiously. Broth should always 
 be in the larder of a good kitchen, as it is perpetually 
 required for sauces, braises, soups, consommes, and 
 essences. 
 
 The great English soups are, real turtle, mock 
 turtle, ox-tail, gravy, giblet, hare, green-pea soup, 
 and pea soup. The great English broths are, chicken 
 broth, mutton broth, Scotch-barley broth, veal broth, 
 and beef broth or tea, which is almost equivalent to 
 the French grand bouillon. 
 
 Real turtle soup is seldom made in private houses, 
 unless of the very highest distinction. It is generally 
 obtained ready prepared from the Waterloo Hotel 
 at Liverpool, and from some of the great taverns in 
 the City in Bishopsgate or Aldersgate Street, or from 
 Gunter's at the West end, who has jars ready pre- 
 pared, from the West Indies and Brazil. Twenty -five 
 years ago a great deal of turtle used to come to Lon- 
 don prepared by Weeks, of the Bush Hotel,* Bristol. 
 
 * At the beginning of this century, Weeks' Bush Inn, at 
 Bristol, was famous for its Christmas fare. The bill of fare for 
 Christmas 1800 was as follows : A turtle of 120 Ibs., 72 pots 
 of turtle, a bustard, red game, black game, fish of almost in-
 
 132 Soups and Broths. 
 
 But Bristol then, and antecedently, stood at the head 
 of the West-India trade, and there were those who 
 preferred the Bristol-made turtle to that of Birch, 
 Bleaden, or Kay. But the Bush Hotel no longer 
 exists, and London now bears off the bell for its 
 turtle soup, as well as for its calipash and calipee. 
 
 Turtle generally arrives in this country about the 
 latter end of May or the beginning of June, though, 
 from the uncertainties of a sea voyage, no exact period 
 for its first appearance can be fixed. In the year 
 1814 it was so unusually late, that at the banquet 
 given in Guildhall to the Emperor of Russia and the 
 King of Prussia, on the 18th of June, there was no 
 turtle to be had. The weight of a turtle varies from 
 30lbs. to 500 Ibs. or 600 Ibs., and the price from 2s. Qd. 
 to 55. per pound. The cooking of a turtle is generally 
 performed by a professed artist, whose fee is from one 
 to two guineas. Some epicures prefer the turtle cut 
 into steaks and broiled, to be eaten with melted but- 
 ter, Cayenne pepper, and the juice of a Seville orange. 
 They say the flesh thus quickly dressed retains most 
 flavour. 
 
 This soup is, says Careme, the most lengthened in 
 its details of any that are known ; " the composition 
 
 numerable kinds, venison, 42 hares, 87 wild ducks, 17 pheasants, 
 41 partridges, 17 wild geese, 149 snipes, 81 woodcocks, 17 wild 
 turkeys, 44 tame turkeys, 10 capons, 52 barrels of Purfleet 
 oysters.
 
 Soups and Broths. 133 
 
 of its seasoning claims an able hand and a strong 
 memory: the palate of the cook who executes it 
 should be very fine ; none of the ingredients should 
 predominate, not even the Cayenne or allspice, which 
 the English cook inconsiderately employs." 
 
 The great artist divides the dressing of a turtle 
 into four operations, and on each expends a page. 
 In order to dress the turtle as it ought to be pre- 
 pared, he says, two large legs of veal, eight fowls, 
 lean ham in slices, sweet herbs, beef stock, the nut 
 of a ham, cloves, Cayenne, allspice, mace, long pep- 
 per, white pepper, eight bottles of dry Madeira, and 
 sixty eggs, are necessary. It is therefore clearly 
 better for those who wish to give turtle soup at a 
 dinner, to have a quart or gallon of it from some 
 first-rate hotel, than to go to the expense of all these 
 ingredients. 
 
 Gravy, ox-tail, mock turtle, and giblet soups are 
 much more common at English dinners than real 
 turtle soup, for the two sufficient reasons, that they 
 are more easily prepared, and that they are less 
 costly. Ox-tail, mock turtle, hare, and giblet soups 
 are still made in the fashion in which they were at 
 the beginning of the present century. Calf-tail soup 
 is simply made by substituting pieces of calf-tail for 
 ox-tail. It is much more delicate than ox-tail, and 
 very nutritious. 
 
 The stocks for white soups are made of veal, mutton, 
 fowl, rabbit, chicken, ox-feet, calf's head and feet, with
 
 134 Soups and Broths. 
 
 bacon and ham. In drawing these stocks, a bit of 
 ham, ham-bone, or lean bacon, is used with the usual 
 seasoning. Fish may be used in thickening meat 
 white soups; they give a turtleish lightness and 
 flavour. Eggs make an excellent thickening for the 
 poorer kinds ; but the richer or more delicate, are 
 thickened with almonds and artificial or real cream. 
 Though the stocks be properly made and well- 
 seasoned, the thickening and finishing, nevertheless, 
 require great care. 
 
 As to French soups, their name is legion. There 
 is scarcely a complete French treatise on the art of 
 cookery that does not contain receipts for at least 
 150 soups; but those most used at English dinner- 
 tables are, the puree a la Heine, the puree des ca- 
 rottes au riz, the puree de lapins, a la Chantilty, 
 a la Colbert, a la Dauphine, the potage a la brunoise 
 aux pointes d'asperges, a la paysanne, the a la 
 Julienne, and a la jardiniere. There are also the 
 bisques d'ecrevisse, de crabe, de chevrettes, &c. But 
 for all these soups the aid of a really accomplished 
 cook is necessary. Italian soups are generally of 
 macaroni, semolina, or of rice; but these, whether 
 a la Medicis or a la Corinne, are much better 
 prepared after the French than after Italian receipts. 
 No human being who had any taste in cookery 
 would think of giving the German soup made of 
 green rye, or the soup of poached eggs after the 
 Styrian fashion; and Russian and Polish soups are
 
 Soups and Broths. 135 
 
 not suitable to English stomachs. The Russian 
 cabbage soup may suit a people who love train oil 
 (which Theodore Hook used to say was "bad for 
 the liver, but good for the lights "), but assuredly it 
 would be rejected by any civilized Englishman. 
 
 I have said in another place that the Dutch eel 
 soup, and the soup of herring-roes, is very relishing. 
 
 To sum up, a host in England can never go wrong 
 in ordering in the winter months for his guests an 
 ox-tail, a mock turtle, a calf-tail, a giblet or mulliga- 
 tawney from among English soups ; or a brunoise or 
 puree de gelinotte, a Julienne, or a puree a la Reine if 
 he requires a French soup. For the spring and 
 summer, English spring soup may be given with 
 turtle, green pea, a soup a la Conde, or a puree de 
 navets, or a consomme a la Xamer.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 HOW TO CLEAN AND BOIL FISH. 
 
 HE great thing to be attended to in the 
 preparation of fish, is to have every par- 
 ticle that is foul or offensive cleansed 
 away. This must, however, be ac- 
 complished in such a manner, that the fish may still 
 retain its original firm and stiff appearance, which is 
 often destroyed by the rough handling it gets while 
 undergoing the process of cleaning. It too frequently 
 happens, owing to the ignorance of cockney dealers, 
 that the firmness and fine flavour of the fish is washed 
 away. If not wholly destroyed, it is in most cases 
 greatly impaired. It is impossible to see one of 
 these smirking, smiling tradesmen with a watering- 
 pot in hand, without wishing to give him the benefit 
 of a shower-bath by means of his own engine, or 
 hoisting him (to use a Shakespearian phrase) by his 
 own petard. 
 
 In cleaning fish, a pump of clear spring water is a 
 great advantage, as the force of the water pumped over 
 the fish will wash off all that is required without sub-
 
 How to clean and boil Fish. 137 
 
 jecting it to scrubbing or handling. In London a 
 small hand-engine or hose might be used for the pur- 
 pose. As a general rule, it may oe remarked, that 
 all fish should be laid flat on its side, on either a 
 board or a flat stone. It should be held by the head 
 and shoulders with the left hand, and all the scales and 
 slime should be scraped off with the right. This done, 
 the operation should be repeated on the reverse side. 
 The fins should then be cut off, and the hand-engine 
 or pump used upon the fish to remove any loose scales 
 or slime that may still adhere to it. The fish should 
 then be opened, the intestines carefully extracted, 
 well scraping the blood out from the back-bone, then 
 wash the fish by a pump or in a pan of clean water, 
 handling it as little as possible. Lastly, take out your 
 fish and hang it up to drain till required for use. Never 
 leave a fish in the water one moment after it is washed. 
 If allowed to soak, the fine flavour of the fish is very 
 materially lessened. 
 
 COD-FISH requires great care in cleaning, parti- 
 cularly in cleansing the back-bone from blood, which 
 spoils the appearance of the sound, and sometimes 
 renders it too unsightly for the table. To prevent 
 this, the fish should be cut open for some distance 
 below the vent, the sound upon one side should be 
 carefully cut off with a sharp knife, as close as pos- 
 sible to the back-bone, still leaving it attached to the 
 opposite side, and then the blood or the intestines of 
 the back-bone should be scraped out with the point of
 
 138 How to clean and boil Fish. 
 
 a knife, or scrubbed out with a small brush ; by this 
 means not only will the blood be removed, but the 
 sound will wear a much more presentable appear- 
 ance, and can be more easily carved, and without in- 
 juring the other parts of the fish. 
 
 Fishes that are to be dressed in their scales, should 
 be dipped in water, and rubbed with a coarse towel to 
 remove the slime. But great care should be taken 
 to rub only from the head downwards, for if rubbed 
 against the grain, some of the scales may become 
 displaced, which would, in a great measure, frustrate 
 the effect intended to be produced by dressing the 
 fish with this coating upon them. 
 
 PILCHARDS should be dressed without wiping at 
 all ; whilst sprats, which are better when scaled, may 
 be deprived of this outward covering with a coarse 
 cloth, without bruising or injuring the fish. 
 
 MACKEREL intended for frying, should be split 
 down the back to the tail, as indeed should all fish 
 meant to be cured, whether in pickle or dried; but 
 whitings, perch, small trout, and all other small fish, 
 should be opened at the belly. In the preparation of 
 trout, the back-bone must be scraped very clean, 
 otherwise the blood collected there will have a black 
 and muddy appearance, extremely disagreeable to 
 the eye. 
 
 PLAICE may be considerably improved by being 
 beaten with a flat piece of wood or a rolling-pin, 
 which has the effect of making the fish eat more
 
 How to clean and boil Fish. 139 
 
 firmly. It also removes, in a great measure, the 
 flabby and watery appearance this fish possesses. 
 
 RED MULLETS are usually dressed without being 
 either scaled or gutted; if fresh, it improves them 
 to extract the intestines carefully, throwing away 
 the garbage, and replacing the liver; but this can 
 only be done when very fresh, and the liver firm. 
 This process should never be attempted after the fish 
 has been more than six hours out of the water. 
 
 SKATES, THORNBACKS, and all fishes of this kind 
 should be skinned, a process which will be greatly faci- 
 litated by previously scalding the fish in hot water. 
 
 SALT-FISH requires great attention in its pre- 
 paration for dressing, and in being properly soaked in 
 water. It is from neglect of these requisites that 
 salt-fish is not so highly esteemed as an article of food 
 as it deserves to be. 
 
 How often do we see a piece of cod or ling as hard 
 as a stone, and as salt as the very brine, from having 
 been carelessly thrown only half-an-hour previous to 
 boiling into water, perhaps hardly sufficient to cover 
 it, and from thence transferred to the pot. It is then 
 vigorously boiled until the cook thinks it is suffi- 
 ciently done to send to table. Cooked in this barbarous 
 fashion, the best salt fish would not be worth the eating. 
 
 LING when being prepared for table, should soak, 
 fully immersed, at least twelve hours in water, and then 
 be taken out and well scrubbed with a hard brush, or 
 rubbed with a coarse cloth. It should next be placed
 
 140 How to clean and boil Fish. 
 
 either on a flat stone or board to drain for six or eight 
 hours. An experienced cook would then place it in 
 lukewarm water, and let it remain soaking for from 
 ten to twelve hours longer, when it will have become 
 pliant and tender, and also swell considerably. Warm 
 water and milk will considerably improve both the 
 flavour and appearance of the fish ; a little vinegar 
 may also be added as an additional means of extract- 
 ing the salt. The fish requires, however, two soak- 
 ings, the first water being a kind of pickle, which 
 becomes in time as salt as the brine from which the 
 fish was taken. 
 
 DRIED COD requires only half as much soaking 
 each time as salt ling ; unless, indeed, the fish be 
 a very large one, in which case it will require to 
 be soaked nearly as long as a ling. When the fish 
 is placed in water over night, to be ready early in 
 the morning, throw one or two wine-glassfuls of 
 vinegar into the water ; take out the fish the first 
 thing in the morning, and hang it up by its tail to 
 drain. 
 
 In English cookery there is little or no variety in 
 the preparation of fish for the table. Three or four 
 modes only of dressing this delicacy are known 
 among us frying, boiling, stewing, grilling, &c., and 
 the numerous preparations of fish by which the palate 
 is delighted and the health maintained in other coun- 
 tries, are not to be seen among the refinements of 
 English dinners, when these latter are confined to
 
 How to clean and boil Fish. 141 
 
 dishes of home manufacture. By some strange pre- 
 judice, fish is never eaten among us except at the 
 very beginning of dinner, following the soup. Its 
 appearance at a second course would be considered 
 an anomaly in England ; and yet no set of persons 
 in the world will, very truly says the " Magazine of 
 Domestic Economy," relish fish at a second course, 
 on the Continent, more than those Englishmen who 
 have left their prejudices behind them in their native 
 country. 
 
 In fish, England has always enjoyed an admitted 
 pre-eminence over the nations of the Continent. The 
 fish brought to her markets is fresher, finer, and in 
 greater variety, yet the uniformity of her cookery in 
 this respect is alternately to foreigners the theme 
 of wonder and ridicule. Billingsgate, adjoining the 
 Custom House, is the mart whence this vast metro- 
 polis is supplied. The fishmongers exhibit their 
 stores on trays of marble or of lead. Every tide brings 
 up fleets of vessels varying in size, the Berwick 
 smack, the Dutch galliot, the Norway fishing-boats 
 and the well-appointed steamer. There are smacks 
 laden with salmon packed in ice; Dutch schuyts 
 with their wells filled with luxurious turbots, or deli- 
 cious eels; boats and barges almost sinking with 
 their plentiful cargoes of cod, haddock, skate, soles, 
 herrings, or mackerel, according to the season ; oys- 
 ters, crabs, lobsters, crawfish, &c., &c. Hither the 
 Brighton mackerel and soles, at the commencement
 
 142 How to clean and boil Fish. 
 
 of the season, are forwarded by land and rail carriage, 
 and occasionally those welcome guests at the tables of 
 the great and opulent, the john-dory, and the mullet, 
 both gray and scarlet. The traffic is under proper 
 regulations. Oysters, muscles, cockles, sprats, and 
 other fish that are sold by measure, are subject to 
 the inspection of the city-meters. Around Billings- 
 gate and in its vicinity are numerous dealers in salt 
 and dried fish, such as salmon, cod, ling, and her- 
 rings. In the spring and summer seasons the supply 
 from Newcastle of that great delicacy, pickled sal- 
 mon, is very considerable, and great quantities daily 
 arrive fresh from Ireland and Scotland by steam and 
 rail. The money expended annually in the purchase 
 of fish landed at this place, is of enormous amount : 
 it has been said that the Dutch used to take yearly 
 from our current coin, fifty thousand guineas for tur- 
 bot only ! The principal market-day at Billingsgate 
 is Monday. 
 
 Dr. M'Culloch asserts that a small proportion of 
 sugar will keep fish perfectly fresh for several days ; 
 but the fish must be fresh when it is applied, as it 
 will not recover from taint. Sugar also cures salmon 
 and white fish, which keeps any length of time in a 
 dried state, provided it is not allowed to get damp. 
 A little salt may be added to the sugar to please the 
 taste. 
 
 The directions are : To lay the fish upon its side 
 and rub it with a little sugar, particularly about the
 
 How to clean and boil Fish. 143 
 
 stomach and throat; two or three tea-spoonfuls is 
 enough for a good-sized salmon. If it be kept fresh, 
 there will be no occasion to open it. 
 
 SALMON if large, should be dressed in slices like 
 cod; if small, on the contrary, it may be dressed 
 whole, fixing the tail in the mouth by means of a 
 skewer, and boil it in a turbot-kettle. The fish is 
 sent to table resting on its belly side, the back being 
 uppermost. The liver and spawn, as in the cod, 
 takes a longer time than the other parts to boil it 
 thoroughly ; and if eaten underdone, it is extremely 
 unwholesome. Salmon, when not crimped, should 
 ,be put into cold water and boiled gradually, but if 
 dressed in thin slices, it should be plunged into hot 
 water at once. After allowing it to remain a minute 
 or two in the fish-kettle, raise it out of the hot water 
 for a couple of minutes ; let this process be repeated 
 three or four times, and it will cause the curd to set, 
 and the fish to eat more crisp. When you have fol- 
 lowed these directions, allow the fish to boil at a 
 moderate pace until it is thoroughly done, for nothing 
 is more indigestible than underdone salmon. Be 
 careful in removing the scum during the boiling. 
 The hardest water is recommended as preferable for 
 boiling salmon. 
 
 OBSERVATIONS ON BOILING FISH. 
 
 If the fishmonger does not clean it, fish is seldom 
 very nicely done ; but those in great towns wash the
 
 144 How to clean and boil Fish. 
 
 fish beyond what is necessary for cleaning, and by 
 perpetual watering, diminish the flavour. When 
 quite clean, if to be boiled, some salt and a little 
 vinegar should be put into the water to give firm- 
 ness ; but cod, whiting, and haddock, are far better 
 if a little salted, and kept a day ; and if it be not 
 very hot weather, they will be good for two days. 
 
 Fresh-water fish has often a muddy smell and 
 taste: to take this off, soak it in strong salt and 
 water after it is nicely cleaned ; or, if of a size to bear 
 it, scald it in the same compound; then dry and 
 dress it. 
 
 The fish must be put into the water while cold, 
 and set to boil very gently, or the outside will break 
 before the inner part is done. 
 
 CRIMPED FISH should be put into boiling water, 
 with salt ; and when it boils up, pour a little cold 
 water in to check extreme heat, and let it simmer for 
 a few minutes by the side of the fire.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 ON FISH. 
 
 LUTARCH tells us that Symmachus 
 and Polycrates wrote treatises to prove 
 that the "innocent fishes" should be 
 respected, and that they who ate of 
 them were among the most ferocious of men. Ac- 
 cording to Columella, however, Apollo was called 
 ixQrxpayo? by the Greeks, because they considered 
 that the god of music, poetry, and eloquence should 
 only feed on the most delicate and dainty diet ; and 
 such the Greeks considered fish. It is curious that the 
 epithet "innocent" is also applied to fish, naturally 
 most voracious, by St. Augustine. " Fishes were 
 spared from the malediction," says this father of the 
 Church, " because it was not the fish of the sea, but 
 the fruits of the earth which contributed to the fall 
 of our first parents. Whatever Plutarch or Augus- 
 tine may say to the contrary, however, fish was used 
 as a diet by the earliest Christians ; and none were 
 more celebrated in increasing the breed of fish, 
 
 L
 
 146 On Fish. 
 
 whether on the Continent or in England, than the 
 earlier Churchmen the much abused monks of the 
 middle ages. 
 
 There is, in truth, no more wholesome or palatable 
 diet than good fish ; and one dish of fish, and some- 
 times two, is generally found at a gentleman's dinner- 
 table in England, if he entertains a family-party of 
 four or six. But though we have the finest fish in 
 the world in this country, we do not dress it in the 
 variety of ways in which it is served in France. 
 Unless immediately after the soup, we seldom eat 
 fish, whereas in most Continental countries it is 
 served dressed as an entree, and in this manner it is 
 most wholesome, as well as very relishing. 
 
 Probably, turbot, during the height of the London 
 season, is more frequently seen than any other fish 
 at English dinner-tables. It is almost always plainly 
 boiled and served with lobster sauce, whereas in 
 France it is served in fifteen or twenty ways, at the 
 least, as will appear from the following list : 
 
 Turbot sauce flamande. 
 
 Turbot sauce hollandaise. 
 
 Emince de turbot a la Bechamel au maigre. 
 
 Emince au gratin garni de pommes cle terre. 
 
 Escalope de turbot aux truffes, sauce Perigueux. 
 
 Saute de turbot sauce au beurre et aux queues 
 d'ecrevisses. 
 
 Saute de turbot sauce aux fines herbes et aux 
 huitres.
 
 On Fish. 147 
 
 Saute de turbot sauce a la genoise. 
 
 Filets de turbot a la Sainte Menehould. 
 
 Filets de turbot pannes a 1'allemande. 
 
 Filets a 1'anglaise sauce aux chevrettes. 
 
 Papillotes des filets de turbot a la maitre d'hotel. 
 
 Orly de turbot. 
 
 Fritot de turbot a la proven9ale, &c. 
 
 Juvenal, in his fourth Satire, tells us what store 
 Roman epicures set on turbot, and gives a des- 
 cription of the company assembled by order of 
 Domitian to pronounce on the goodness of the fish. 
 The graphic pages of Suetonius, the vigorous periods 
 of Tacitus, and the scourging satire of Juvenal, 
 were employed to show up the vices of Domitian. 
 Berchoux, in his poem "La Gastronomie," thus 
 paraphrases Juvenal : 
 
 " Domitien un jour se presente au senat : 
 
 Peres conscrits, dit-il, un affaire d'etat 
 
 M'appelle aupres de vous. Je ne viens point vous dire 
 
 Qu'il s'agit de vieller au salut de 1'empire ; 
 
 Exciter votre zele, et prendre vos avis 
 
 Sur les destines de Rome, et des peuples conquis ; 
 
 Agiter avec vous ou la paix ou la guerre, 
 
 Vains projets sur lesquels vous n'avez qu'a vous taire ; 
 
 II s'agit d'un turbot : daignez deliberer 
 
 Sur la sauce qu'on doit lui faire preparer .... 
 
 Le senat mit aux voix cette affaire importante, 
 
 Et le turbot fut mis a la sauce piquante."* 
 
 * Juvenal relates the story somewhat differently : 
 " Sed deerat pisci patinae mensura : vocantur 
 Ergo in concilium proceres," &c. SAT. II.
 
 148 On Fish. 
 
 The turbot is found in all seas. They are very 
 large in the ocean and the Mediterranean. Rondelet 
 says he has seen turbot five fathoms long, four in 
 breadth, and a foot thick. Such turbots have never 
 been seen in England. A turbot weighing from ten 
 to twelve pounds is generally coarse and woolly. The 
 best flavoured are the moderate sized, called chicken 
 turbot, weighing from three to six pounds. In the 
 middle ages, the turbot was called the phasianus 
 aquaticus, or water-pheasant. The turbot is very 
 voracious, and is especially fond of cray-fish. Tur- 
 bot is thus described in one of the volumes of the 
 "Almanach des Gourmands": 
 
 " Turbot is the pheasant of the sea, because of its 
 beauty: it is the king of Lent, because of its majestic 
 size. It is ordinarily served au court bouillon. The 
 turbot has the simplicity and majesty of a hero, and 
 every species of ornament offends him much more 
 than it honours him. On the day after he makes his 
 first appearance, it is quite another affair; he may 
 be then disguised. The best manner of effecting this 
 is to dress him in Bechamel, a prepartion thus called 
 after the Marquis de Bechamel, maitre d'hotel of Louis 
 XIV., who has for ever immortalised himself by this 
 one ragout" 
 
 Turbot is best from March to September, but is 
 eaten all the year round. 
 
 Sturgeon, called the royal fish (because by a sta- 
 tute of Edward II. it is said " the king shall have
 
 On Fish. 149 
 
 sturgeon taken in the sea, or elsewhere, within the 
 realm "), is seldom seen at private tables in England. 
 Two distinct species have been distinguished by the 
 fishermen of the Solway Firth ; but several species 
 frequent the rivers of Russia. Caviare, so much 
 used in Russia, and now very generally imported 
 into this country, is made of the roe of the female 
 sturgeon. The flesh of the sturgeon, besides being 
 preserved by salting and pickling, is in request for 
 the table while fresh, and is generally served with 
 a rich sauce. The appearance and flavour of stur- 
 geon is not unlike that of veal. The flesh, like that 
 of most of the cartilaginous fishes, is more firm and 
 compact than is usual among those of the osseous 
 families. When fresh, sturgeon is as white as the 
 very finest veal; when red, nothing whatever can 
 be done with it. There are thirty different methods 
 of dressing sturgeon in France. I give the names of 
 a few of them : 
 
 Darne d'esturgeon a la broche sauce genoise. 
 
 Esturgeon en Tortue. 
 
 Esturgeon au vin de madere ou de champagne. 
 
 Cotelletes d'esturgeon a la Sainte Menehould. 
 
 Filets d'esturgeon a la Orly. 
 
 Papillotes d'esturgeon aux fines herbes. 
 
 Sturgeons in England are roasted, or baked, or 
 boiled in Tide's manner, or served a la Beaufort, for 
 which there is a receipt in Francatelli's " Modern 
 Cook."
 
 150 On Fish. 
 
 Portions of this fish may be also served in llan- 
 quettes, and croquettes, and as cutlets. 
 
 I give Careme's receipt for serving a sturgeon a 
 la Napoleon. It will be seen that it requires three 
 bottles of champagne. 
 
 Esturgeon a la Napoleon. Clean and tie up a 
 piece of sturgeon (two feet and a half in length), 
 dress it in a Mirepoix moistened with three bottles of 
 champagne, and two ladlesful of consomme; proceed 
 with it as above directed ; take off the skin, glaze, and 
 dish it, surrounding it with a ragout a la Regence, 
 consisting of small quenelles of whitings, with cray- 
 fish-butter, truffles, carps' tongues, and mushrooms, 
 of each a plateful ; before putting them into the sauce, 
 mix a good piece of crayfish-butter and a little glaze 
 with it ; the ragout should receive scarcely a boiling 
 afterwards; lay upon the ragout some white roes of 
 carp, and livers of turbots, and surround it with a 
 garniture of fillets of soles, decorated with truffles; 
 fix eight hatelettes (skewers) garnished with truffles, 
 crayfish, and smelts, turned round, and boiled in salt 
 water, and always serve a portion of the ragout in a 
 sauce-boat. 
 
 In America they make a sturgeon soup from the 
 fresh fish, and there is also a " sturgeon soup a 1'an- 
 glaise et a 1'indienne" the receipts for which may be 
 found in Francatelli's " Modern Cook." 
 
 The Romans much vaunted a sturgeon, and when 
 served crowned it with flowers. The Greeks also
 
 On Fish. 151 
 
 considered it as the best dish at their grand re- 
 pasts. 
 
 Next to turbot, the fish most in request at English 
 dinner-tables during the season is salmon. Our chief 
 salmon fisheries are carried on in the rivers and es- 
 tuaries of Scotland; but the finest salmon in the 
 London market comes from the Southampton water, 
 near Christchurch ; and much good salmon is also 
 sent to Billingsgate both from Ireland and Holland. 
 The produce of the fishings of the rivers Tay, Dee, 
 Don, Skey, Findhorn, Beauley, Borriedale, Thurso, 
 and the coasts adjacent, are conveyed in steam-boats 
 and small sailing-vessels to Aberdeen, where they 
 are packed with ice in boxes, and sent to London. 
 The Severn salmon is in season in January, Feb- 
 ruary, March, October, November, and December ; 
 and the Scotch from March to September. There 
 are innumerable ways of dressing salmon practised 
 by French cooks, such as Darne de saumon au vin 
 de champagne, sauce au beurre d'ecrevisses, sau- 
 mon au court bouillon, a la franqaise, a la Re- 
 gence, a la Cardinale, &c. ; but it may be ques- 
 tioned whether salmon is ever eaten with more relish 
 or satisfaction by Englishmen than when plain boiled, 
 either whole or in slices, in the English fashion. It 
 may be served with lobster, shrimp, Dutch, or parsley- 
 and-butter sauce. The slices of crimped salmon 
 served at London dinners in May and June, are, to 
 my mind, perfection.
 
 152 On Fish. 
 
 Nonius says of this fish, " Carnem enim habet 
 teneram dulcem et praepinquem." 
 
 The codfish brought to England is much finer 
 than that sold on the Continent ; and from Novem- 
 ber to April there can be no better dish than slices 
 of crimped cod, done either in the English or the 
 Dutch fashion, which most Englishmen prefer to the 
 more elaborate dressing of French cooks. A Becha- 
 mel of codfish in the French fashion is, however, a 
 very good thing ; and cabittaud grille a la Laguipierre 
 is excellent. This last was said to be a favourite dish 
 with the late Duke of Wellington ; and certain it is, 
 that it was often placed on the table both at Strath- 
 fieldsaye and at Apsley House. 
 
 The haddock, which is now more commonly served 
 at English dinner- tables than in my youth, is an excel- 
 lent fish when of the proper size. The Dublin Bay 
 haddock is pre-eminently good, and merits the en- 
 comium of Galen: " Aselli si probo utantur ali- 
 mento et in maripuro degunt, carnis bonitate cum 
 saxatilibus contendunt.'"* 
 
 Pliny also in his ninth book, cap. xvii., says the 
 haddock "post acipenserem apud antiques nobilis 
 simum piscium."f Haddocks, to my thinking, are 
 best dressed in the English fashion boiled, either 
 
 * Galen, Lib. III. De Aliment. See also Lib. VIII. 
 Method! Medendi. 
 
 | See also, Nonius de Re Cibar. Lib. VIII.
 
 On Fish. 153 
 
 with egg or parsley-and-butter sauce. In Ireland, 
 they sometimes serve them with cockle sauce: and 
 an excellent friend of mine (the son of a late accom- 
 plished and eloquent Chief Justice of the Queen's 
 Bench) tells me they are admirable in this fashion. 
 In French cookery, the haddock is generally dressed 
 and served as codfish is dressed. There are worse 
 things than a fillet of haddock a la Royale, or a 
 ritalienne. 
 
 There is no more nourishing or easily digested 
 fish than the sole, and it is in season all the year 
 round. The richest and largest sole, called by some 
 the black sole, comes from the Devon coast ; and 
 these, as well as the Dover sole, and the black sole 
 of Ireland, are best plain boiled. The smaller and 
 whiter sole found on the coast of Sussex is best fried. 
 Lemery calls the sole, perdrix marina (the partridge 
 of the sea); and Ovid classes it with the flounder, to 
 which it is far superior. 
 
 " Fulgentes soleae candore et concolorillis passer." 
 
 There are thirty or more excellent ways of serving 
 sole in the French fashion, the principal of which are 
 a la Colbert, a la Perigord, au yratin, en matelote nor- 
 mande, a la provenqale, jfilets de soles aux truffes> et 
 aux fines herbes. All of these are excellent, but re- 
 quire a good cook. If you are not sure of your 
 cook, order your soles to be fried or plainly boiled. 
 
 I must say a word on the fish of which the cele- 
 brated Roman orator Hortensius was so fond a fish
 
 154 On Fish. 
 
 furnishing occasion for the epigrams of Martial, and 
 the scathing satire of Juvenal. Red mullet is only 
 prime during the warm weather, and is best done en 
 papillate. It may also be done en caisse aux fines 
 herbes, a Titalienne, and a la Cardinale, but in no 
 way is it so good as en papillate. 
 
 Mullet should never be drawn ; it is sufficient to 
 take out the gills, as the liver and trail are the best 
 parts of the fish. When we know that Apicius 
 spent 60,000 to vary the taste of sauces, we can 
 well believe that a sum of 240 was given in the 
 olden time, at Rome, for three mullets of a large size. 
 
 I will only speak of two other fishes, the john- 
 dory and the lamprey. The john-dory is finest on 
 the western coast of England, and is best plain boiled. 
 Quin, the actor, a great gourmand, was remarkably 
 fond of this fish and red mullet, and used to go down 
 to Exeter for the purpose of eating them. One 
 morning after his arrival in the west, his valet came 
 in to call him as usual. " Well, John, any dory in 
 the market ? " " No, sir." 
 
 " Very well ; I'll lay a-bed to-day. You may call 
 me this time to-morrow." 
 
 There are two kinds of lampreys the marine 
 lamprey, found at Worcester and Gloucester, where 
 it is dressed and preserved, to be heated up with a 
 wine. The other, the lampern, is found in the 
 Thames from October till March. The lamprey is 
 in the best condition in April and May. Receipts
 
 On Fish. 155 
 
 for dressing lamprey, a la Forey, a la Beauchamp, 
 and a la Beaufort, may be found in Francatelli's 
 " Modern Cook." 
 
 While on the chapter on fish, I may as well state 
 that the late Marquis de Cussy, prefect of the palace 
 of the first Napoleon, has published a book, in which 
 he states his belief that the Reformation was brought 
 about by the compulsory use of fish and meagre fare 
 on particular days. Here are his words : 
 
 " The schism of Martin Luther was really and 
 seriously occasioned by the fastings and the like 
 punishments inflicted on the true believers of Ger- 
 many. The spiritual power should never meddle 
 with the kitchen. In consequence of this fault, the 
 situation of the Church was changed in Europe." 
 
 Careme's thoughts on living on maigre diet are 
 equally curious. 
 
 "It is in a lenten kitchen," he says, "that the 
 cleverness of a cook can shed a brilliant light. It 
 was in the Elysee Imperial, and by the example of 
 the famous Laguipierre and Robert, that I was ini- 
 tiated into this fine branch of the art, and it is 
 inexpressible. The years of '93 and '94, in their ter- 
 rible and devastating course, respected these strong 
 heads (ces fortes ttes). When our valiant First 
 Consul appeared at the head of affairs, our miseries 
 and those of gastronomy finished. When the empire 
 came, one heard of soups and entrees maigres. The 
 splendid maigre first appeared at the table of the
 
 156 On Fish. 
 
 Princess Caroline Murat. This was the sanctuary 
 of good cheer, and Murat was one of the first to do 
 penitence. But what a penitence !" 
 
 One does not know whether to be indignant or to 
 laugh at this. The old proverb, " set a beggar on 
 horseback and he will ride to the devil," is undoubt- 
 edly true. A few years before the consulate, the 
 ambitious Caroline Buonaparte, afterwards wife of 
 Murat, was, with her mother and the other female 
 members of her family, in so destitute a situation at 
 Marseilles, that they had not the means of buying 
 wood to warm themselves; and as to Murat, her 
 husband, it is well known that he rose from the very 
 dregs of society, his father being a village innkeeper 
 at Bastide Frontoniere, in the department of Lot. 
 
 It was Murat's kitchen, Careme tells us, that re- 
 stored le beau maigre to mother Church. Thus the 
 great chef unfolds his views as to fish dinners : 
 
 " Succulence, variety, and recherche, Murat un- 
 doubtedly desired at his table, and his wishes were 
 supplied. But he owed all these things to our great 
 Laguipierre" (his cook!) "whom he loved. What 
 a labour was Laguipierre's ! This glorious establish- 
 ment of Murat's, exhibiting the grandeur of a royal 
 household, was dearly loved by all true gastronomes. 
 The causes of its splendour were the magnificence 
 of the prince, the splendid, friendly, and associated 
 talents of M. Robert, his comptroller, and of the 
 famous Laguipierre, his chef de cuisine. I had the
 
 On Fish. 157 
 
 happiness, during two years, of being the first assis- 
 tant of Laguipierre, as well as his friend. In that 
 time we recreated that grand cuisine maigre, and 
 restored le beau maigre to old Mother Church." 
 
 Any one who wishes to dip further into the litera- 
 ture of fish dinners, should read the article on red 
 herrings, in the fourth volume of the "Almanach 
 des Gourmands;" the description of the house of 
 Billiote, whose cookery and cellars were patronized 
 by the whole body of the French clergy, and the 
 description of the account of the table d'hote, au 
 nom de Jesus, in the Cloltre St. Jacques de PHopital, 
 where a fish dinner was served up every Wednesday, 
 Friday, and Saturday, for the moderate sum of two 
 francs ten sous. Such a dinner in Imperial France 
 of 1864 would cost four times the money. 
 
 When I first knew Paris as a youth in 1822, the 
 most famous place for a fish dinner was the Rocher 
 de Cancale, in the Rue Montorguiel. It was then 
 and had for eighteen or twenty years before been 
 kept by M. Baleine, aided by Madame Beauvais. 
 
 In the sixtli volume of the " Almanach des Gour- 
 mands," published in 1808, it is stated that this 
 famous restaurant was in that year frequented by 
 Russian princes, German barons, and the 'elite of 
 diplomatic society, who then ordered dinners at ten, 
 fifteen, and eighteen francs per head, without wine. 
 The cook at this period was said to be one of the 
 best in Paris, and the reputation of the house con-
 
 158 On Fish. 
 
 tinued till 1840, and even later. You were always 
 sure to find the finest and freshest fish at the Rocher 
 de Cancale ; and the poultry, and meats, and game 
 were also of the choicest. But the year 1848, which 
 upset the Orleans dynasty, ruined this famous estab- 
 lishment, and it is now only numbered as a thing of 
 the past. 
 
 I remember dining there with a party of six persons 
 in the year 1828, the bill for our dinner amounted 
 to 450 francs, or 75 francs per head, including wine. 
 The dinner principally consisted of divers kinds of 
 fish and game. From this dinner, composed of a 
 bisque or French soup, with fillets of turbot and 
 various entrees of fish and game, every one of the 
 party rose hungry. On this occasion some Chateau 
 Margaux was ordered, said to be in bottle from 1789, 
 a period of thirty -nine years, for which a charge of 
 fourteen francs per bottle was made. But this would 
 now be considered a bagatelle, as at several of the 
 restaurants in Paris there is Chateau Margaux 
 charged at twenty and twenty-five francs per bottle, 
 not a quarter so old as the wine of which I speak. 
 
 The most expensive part of the 1828 dinner was 
 the fish, and not the wine. M. Ferdinand Fayot, in 
 his " Treatise de la Table particuliere de M. Talley- 
 rand," relates the following anecdote of an abbe who 
 was wont to frequent the Rocher de Cancale for its 
 fish: 
 
 " A certain abbe, who was uncommonly fond of
 
 On Fish. 159 
 
 fish, often visited the Rocher de Cancale. Upon 
 one occasion, having dined copiously of salmon, a 
 heavy indigestion was the consequence. Three days 
 afterwards, whilst saying mass, the idea of the fish 
 came across his mind, and, instead of saying the mea 
 culpa of the Corifiteor, he was heard to repeat, in 
 striking his breast, ' Ah, le bon saumon ! ah, le bon 
 saumon ! ' "
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE EOAST. 
 
 JHE definition given of the word roast in 
 the " Dictionnaire des termes du vieux 
 Fra^ois,"* is a very curious one. Here 
 it is : " Host et raust du rosty. Ce 
 mot vient de rusticus parceque le feu noirci, et brule 
 la viande comme le soleil qui hale le visage des pay- 
 sans." Anything more futile, trivial, and far-fetched 
 than this it were impossible to conceive ; yet a per- 
 son daily accustomed to lexicographic studies will 
 simply smile at meanings so forced and strained 
 meanings very common, however, with dictionary 
 makers and lexicographers. 
 
 Boxhornius, in his Britannico-Latin Dictionary, 
 tells us rhost (sic) is an ancient British word. 
 
 * Dictionnaire des termes du vieux Francois, ou tresor de 
 recherches et antiquites Gauloises et Frangoises, par M. Borel, 
 Conseiller et Medecin ordinaire du Roi. Paris : chez Briasson, 
 Rue St. Jacques. MDCCL.
 
 The Roast. 161 
 
 " Antiquam esse vocem Brittanicam, ostendit no- 
 men Regis Armoricani, Daniel Dremrost ab ustis, 
 oculis, vel usto vultu sic dicti." Wolfgang Lazius, 
 also, in his tenth book, " de Migrationibus Gentium " 
 states that rost (sic) in the Vandal and Teuton lan- 
 guages signifies a grill; and Jean Bruyere, in his 
 book "de Re Cibaria,"* says, that in early times in 
 France, a guest who was invited to a dinner without 
 a roast on a day when it was lawful to eat meat in 
 other words, to live en gras fared very frugally in- 
 deed, if by any accident the roast was omitted. This 
 can be well credited, for among the English and 
 French the roast has been always the principal dish, 
 or, as our neighbours would say, the piece de resistance. 
 
 In very early times, in Paris, there were what were 
 called in old French, rustisseries, where roast meats 
 were sold ready to be eaten instantly at meals. Du 
 Loir tells us that in the mediaeval times, an Italian 
 patriarch thought nothing so admirable at Paris as 
 these rotisseries, where he could find such delicate 
 tit-bits as a roast gigot, or a roast shoulder or leg of 
 lamb. The rotisseries were kept by rotisseurs and 
 rotisseuses, and they exist to this day. There were 
 independently of these general rotisseurs, and rotis- 
 seuses as they were called en blanc, who sold only 
 larded roasts, such asjfilets piques, &c. 
 
 The traiteur, or the cuisinier traiteur, was some- 
 
 * Lib. XII. cap. 5. 
 M
 
 162 The Roast. 
 
 times also a rotisseur, a calling distinguished from 
 the patissier or pastry-cook. The Company of 
 Maitre Rotisseurs in France was much older than 
 the Company of Maitre Cuisiniers, which latter was 
 only erected into a corporation in 1559, in the reign 
 of Henry IV. The statutes of the Maitre Rotisseurs 
 were granted by Stephen Boileau, Provost of Paris, 
 about 1258. The rotisseurs, for the most part, lived 
 in the street called Aux Oyers, where, so late as 1767, 
 a great many of them were established. 
 
 I have in another and preceding chapter remarked, 
 that the French kitchen was very much indebted to 
 Italian cookery. The truth is, that the Italians of 
 the middle ages have been in most sciences the in- 
 structors of Europe. Catherine de Medici came to 
 France surrounded with a legion of cooks, rotisseurs 
 and patissiers, and these new-comers first improved 
 the cookery already existing, and having found apt 
 scholars in the French, were soon surpassed by their 
 pupils. 
 
 The art of roasting is considered an especial art 
 by our neighbours. It is very true, that there is no 
 process in cookery so simple, and yet very few can 
 accomplish it properly. A roast, whether of beef, 
 mutton, venison, lamb, or fowl, should neither be un- 
 der nor over done. The great secret therefore is to 
 avoid either extreme, and so to hit the middle point. 
 Venison, beef, mutton, lamb, require to be equally 
 done through all the parts, yet no portion of the gravy
 
 The Roast. 163 
 
 should be wasted. Scorching is not roasting, and burn- 
 ing is not browning a joint. The best joint of beef for 
 roasting in England is the sirloin. The fire should be 
 brisk and clear, as well as large, steady, and intense in 
 proportion to the size of the joint, and the meat should 
 be perpetually basted, so that no cessation in the pro- 
 cess should take place. Large joints should be put 
 down soon after the fire is made up and begins to 
 burn. The gradual access of the heat to meat prevents 
 its burning. If a joint be burned in the early process, 
 it is an evil scarcely remediable in the subsequent 
 stages of the operation of roasting. For this reason 
 it is that in the great kitchens in France there is al- 
 ways some one whose special duty it is to attend to 
 the roast alone. In the fourth volume of the " Al- 
 manach des Gourmands," it is said that a dinner may 
 be compared to the rooms of a house, and the roast 
 is the salon or principal apartment. " The salon in a 
 French house," says M. Grimod de la Reyniere, " is 
 the room on which an hospitable host spends all his 
 spare money. It is furnished and decorated with the 
 greatest care, because in this room the master receives 
 his friends. Just a like process is pursued in respect 
 to the roast that smokes upon his table. It is the dish 
 that has cost him most money, and on which he hopes 
 to content and feast his guests." It is, therefore, most 
 important that the roast, by its excellence, juice, and 
 tenderness, should satisfy ; for if it be bad, burned, 
 or hard, all however excellent that has preceded it,
 
 164 The Roast. 
 
 is forgotten; a tristful silence succeeds to hilarity, 
 and the grieved Amphitryon seeks to repair the blun- 
 der of his cook by the production of excellent wine. 
 
 The misfortune is, that there is no strict law to 
 " rule the roast." The doing it to a turn depends on 
 a congeries of circumstances and contingencies which 
 are eternally varying. The beef or mutton may be 
 old, tough, sinewy, or not sufficiently hung. A great 
 deal depends on the size of the coal or wood before 
 which it is placed. Much also on the regular basting 
 or the punctual arrival of the guests. Sometimes a 
 delay of five or ten minutes spoils a beautiful roast 
 joint, and renders it flavourless and insipid. " Ainsi," 
 saysGrimod, (becoming poetical) "Ainsi que la beaute 
 dans sa fleur, il n'a qu'un moment pour etre cuelli 
 et ce moment une fois passe ne revient jamais." 
 
 It is not therefore an exaggeration to say that good 
 roasters are even more difficult to find than good 
 cooks. It was the opinion of so competent a judge as 
 this, that in an establishment where the cook attended 
 both to the preparing of the dinner and the roast, the 
 roast was sure to be bad. I will not go to this length, 
 for an experienced kitchen-maid can always bestow 
 on the roast of the first and second course all the at- 
 tention necessary. The roast, according to this great 
 and experienced authority, is divided into great and 
 little roast gros rut et petit rot. The larger roast 
 comprises venison, beef, mutton, veal, lamb, and 
 pork, quarters of wild boar, &c., and the smaller, fowl,
 
 The Roast. 165 
 
 grouse, and small birds. Grimod recommends that 
 smaller birds should be larded with a slice of good 
 
 O 
 
 lard. Great care should be taken in the selection of the 
 lard, for a rancid lard will spoil the best bird that 
 ever flew. At large dinners, the editor of the " Al- 
 manach" holds that the roast should be served without 
 entrees or entremets, flanked merely by four different 
 salades. A general rule among cooks is to allow a 
 quarter of an hour to each pound of the joint. Thus 
 a joint of eight pounds will take two hours. Slow 
 roasting adds to the tenderness and flavour of a joint, 
 and it may be observed, that the longer a joint is 
 kept the less time it will require in roasting. 
 
 Our roasts in England (with the single exception 
 of a leg of mutton) are better than in France. The 
 quality of the meat (with the exception of veal) is much 
 better, and good English cooks excel in roasting meat 
 and game. Our game is much finer than in France, 
 though we have nothing to equal the French pou- 
 larde of the Mans, in the department of the Sarthe. 
 Nothing in France can compare to our haunches 
 and necks of venison, to our barons and sirloins of 
 beef, to our haunches, saddles, and legs of mutton, 
 to our barons and fore-quarters of lamb. Our beef is 
 in season all the year round, and may be given as a 
 roast from October to March. Our saddles, haunches, 
 legs, and necks of mutton, may also be given as a 
 roast for the first course, being varied with pork, 
 veal, and roast turkey. For a second course in Jan-
 
 166 The Roast. 
 
 uary and February, we have widgeon and woodcock, 
 snipe, teal, wild duck and black game, hares, &c. All 
 this game is better flavoured and better roasted in 
 England than in France. In April, we have excellent 
 lamb for a first course, with guinea-fowls and ducklings 
 for a second. In May we have poulardes and quails, 
 turkey poults, &c,, for a second. Venison begins in 
 June, and in August we have grouse, and that excel- 
 lent bird the golden plover. A little later come 
 partridges, black cock, and then snipe and wild duck, 
 while lamb and mutton alternate in the first. Mutton, 
 whether as a roast, or an entree in the shape of cutlets, 
 can be alike served ; and with Swift's receipt for roast- 
 ing mutton, I will conclude this branch of the subject : 
 
 " Gently stir and blow the fire, 
 Lay the mutton down to roast, 
 
 Dress it quickly, I desire ; 
 In the dripping put a toast, 
 
 That I hunger may remove ; 
 
 Mutton is the meat I love. 
 
 On the dresser see it lie ; 
 Oh ! the charming white and red ! 
 
 Finer meat ne'er met the eye, 
 On the sweetest grass it fed ; 
 
 Let the jack go swiftly round, 
 
 Let me have it nicely brown'd. 
 
 On the table spread the cloth, 
 Let the knives be sharp and clean, 
 
 Pickles get and salad both, 
 Let them each be fresh and green. 
 
 With small beer, good ale, and wine, 
 ye gods ! how I shall dine !
 
 The Roast. 167 
 
 I by no means mean to imply that our neigh- 
 bours, the French, have not a greater variety of ways 
 of dressing their roasts for first and second courses 
 than we have ; all I mean to assert is, that our simple 
 roasting of venison, beef, mutton, and game, is bet- 
 ter than the French. The material to work upon is 
 incomparably better. Toujours perdrix, however, is 
 sure to pall on the palate, and our object should be 
 to vary our mode of dressing these excellent mate- 
 rials. Till schools of cookery become more general, 
 it will not be safe for a host, with an ordinary plain 
 cook, to set before his guest a, filet de bceuf, sauce a 
 la poivrade, a salmi of partridge, or a filet de canard 
 sauvage. 
 
 It would even be a dangerous experiment in many 
 cases to essay a loin of veal a la Bechamel, fillets of 
 fowl a la tartare, a common fricassee of chicken, or 
 a braized saddle of lamb a la jardiniere. 
 
 It is perhaps unnecessary to say that pork, veal, 
 and lamb should be done well ; turkeys and fowls 
 should have no red in them, but game should be 
 somewhat underdone. 
 
 I have already said that the time necessary to 
 roast a joint depends on a variety of circumstances, 
 of which an experienced male or female cook will be 
 the best judge. The following table, however, very 
 nearly approximates to the exact time, supposing a 
 coal fire to be employed :
 
 168 The Roast. 
 
 A joint of beef . weighing 20lbs. 4 hours. 
 
 ... lOlbs. 21 
 
 ... 61bs. 2 
 
 A joint of veal . . . lOlbs. 3^ 
 
 ... 4lbs. 2 
 
 A joint of mutton . . lOlbs. 2 
 
 ... Gibs. 1J 
 
 ... 4lbs. 1 
 
 A leg of lamb .... 1^- 
 
 A joint of fresh pork . . 8 Ibs. 4 
 
 . 4 Ibs. If 
 
 A haunch of buck venison . . 4 
 
 A neck of buck . . . l to 2 
 
 A joint of venison . . lOlbs. 2^ 
 
 ... 6 Ibs. 1 
 
 (Venison should be rather under than over done.) 
 
 A large turkey .... 2 
 
 A medium-sized one ... 1^ 
 
 A turkey poult .... 1 
 
 A capon 1 
 
 A poularde . . . . 1^ 
 
 A large fowl .... f ?> 
 
 A goose ItolJ 
 
 A gosling | 
 
 A pigeon i ,. 
 
 A hare 1 J 
 
 A leveret f 
 
 A rabbit ..... ~k 
 
 A pheasant .... i?
 
 The Roast. 
 
 169 
 
 A partridge .... 20 minutes. 
 Cock of the wood, or black game, 1 to 1^ hour. 
 Grouse ..... A- 
 
 Woodcock ..... ^- 
 
 Snipe ..... 20 minutes. 
 
 Golden plover .... 20 
 
 Teal 15 
 
 Quail 20 
 
 Larks 20 
 
 Ortolans 15 
 
 Fig-pecker . . . . 15
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 BOILING. 
 
 LL meats should be boiled slowly, in suf- 
 ficient water; and a ham should not be al- 
 lowed to boil until a very short time before 
 it is taken out of the pot, in which it has 
 been allowed to simmer slowly for four, five, or six 
 hours, according to its size, age, &c. When meats 
 are boiled fast, the outside is hardened before the 
 inside is warm ; in addition to which the meat be- 
 comes discoloured. 
 
 It is usual in boiling as well as in roasting, to 
 allow a quarter of an hour's boiling to every pound 
 of meat. The rule usually is a good one, but there 
 are several exceptions, that will task the discretion 
 and science of a cook. 
 
 If the joint be large and thick, such as buttock 
 or round of beef, more than a quarter of an hour 
 must be allowed for each pound. If, however, the 
 joint be a small or a thin one, such as a neck of 
 lamb, somewhat less than a quarter of an hour for
 
 Boiling. 171 
 
 each pound will suffice. During the process of boil- 
 ing meat or fish, the scum which arises should be 
 skimmed off, otherwise the meat or fish will be dis- 
 coloured. The majority of cookery books direct that 
 fresh meat should be put into water when it boils, 
 and salt meat when the water is cold ; but the bet- 
 ter opinion seems now to be that fresh and salted 
 meats should be put into cold water, and allowed to 
 become hot gradually. The five constituent pro- 
 perties of the flesh of animals used by man are 
 fibrine, gelatine, osmazone, fat, and albumen. Gela- 
 tine is soluble only in boiling or very hot water, 
 whereas osmazone is very soluble, even in cold 
 water, and contains the sapid principle of all meats. 
 Fat is insoluble in water, but the heat melts it, 
 when it floats in a liquid form on the surface. 
 
 Albumen resembles the white of an egg. It is 
 soluble in cold or lukewarm water, and coagulates at 
 a less temperature than that of boiling water. Albu- 
 men abounds in the blood, and exists in portions of 
 the flesh of animals. It is the albumen, in coagula- 
 ting after having been dissolved, which causes the 
 scum to rise in the liquid in which a joint has been 
 boiled. It is evident that if the meat be put in a 
 vessel with boiling water, or if the water being cold 
 be boiled too quickly, the albumen in the first case 
 by coagulating on the surface of the water, and in 
 the second in the interior of the joint of meat, pre- 
 vents the gelatine and osmazone from dissolving.
 
 172 Boiling. 
 
 Though boiling does not require so much nicety and 
 care as roasting, yet it is seldom perfectly performed. 
 It requires patient watchfulness and vigilance. " It is 
 natural," says Count Rumford, "to suppose that many 
 of the finer and more volatile parts of food must be car- 
 ried off by the steam when the boiling is violent. The 
 water should be heated gradually until it boils, for the 
 the slower the meat boils the more juicy and tender 
 will it be. Meat freshly killed takes longer to boil 
 than when it has been properly hung, and meat killed 
 in cold or frosty weather takes longer to boil than 
 meat killed in summer. Meat or poultry should not 
 be allowed to remain in the water after they are done, 
 as they soon become sodden. 
 
 It is usual to boil lamb, veal, and pork longer than 
 beef or mutton. Of course all vessels in which meat 
 is boiled, should be clean and wholesome. Vessels 
 of copper, brass, and lead must be avoided in cookery, 
 unless the inside be well tinned. The best sauce- 
 pans are of iron, tinned in the inside. I would ob- 
 serve, that salmon requires nearly as much boiling 
 as meat, that is to say, about a quarter of an hour 
 to every pound of fish. Turbot, salmon, john- 
 dory, cod-fish, haddocks, brill, skate, and the large 
 Dover and West of England black soles, are best 
 boiled. Other kinds of sea-fish are best fried or 
 filletted, or done in the French fashion, such asjilets 
 de turbot, sauce supreme, or escalopes de turbot, aux 
 truffes a la Royale. Cod-fish, besides being boiled
 
 Boiling. 173 
 
 or fried, may be served in twenty ways a la hol- 
 landaise, a la Sainte Mmehould, a la Perigeaux, a la 
 provenqale. As to salmon, the same observation may be 
 made. It may be served a la Saint Cloud, a la 
 genevoise, a la venitienne, a la Royale, in filets aux 
 anchois, a la (VArtois, a la Sainte Menehould, en pa- 
 pillotes, a la d'uxelle ; but, unless you have a superior 
 cook, salmon is best plain boiled. 
 
 I will conclude with the following remarks as to 
 the time required to boil poultry. 
 
 Turkeys, capons, fowls, chickens, &c., are all 
 boiled in the same manner, allowing time according 
 to their size. 
 
 A chicken will take about tAventy minutes. 
 
 A fowl, about forty minutes. 
 
 A poularde or capon, about an hour. 
 
 A small turkey, an hour and a half. 
 
 A large turkey, two hours or more. 
 
 Rabbits should be put into a basin of warm water; 
 then put them into plenty of water, and boil half an 
 hour. If large, three quarters of an hour. 
 
 Of frying I would merely say, that the frying is 
 the finest and most delicate when good olive oil is 
 employed. " II est reconnu que c'est avec la bonne 
 huile d'olive que se font fritures les plus fines, les 
 plus delicates." Manuel de Cuisinier et de la Cui- 
 sinitre, par P. Cardelli.
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 POULTRY. 
 
 HE term Poultry, includes all the domes- 
 ticated birds reared for the table fowls, 
 capons, turkeys, geese, ducks, and guinea 
 fowl. Those who live in the country and 
 intend to rear fowls for the consumption of their 
 families, should have a poultry-yard, called by the 
 French, a basse cour. It should be well sheltered, 
 with a warm aspect, and sufficiently inclined to be 
 always dry. It should also be supplied with sand or 
 ashes, and there should be also a supply of running 
 water, of which poultry are fond. A green patch of 
 earth should be next to the poultry -yard, to allow the 
 fowls free exercise. Poultry are the better for high 
 feeding from the very shell, and on this account it is 
 advisable to give them the heaviest corn. Even young 
 chickens may be put for feeding as soon as the 
 hen has ceased to regard them. When chickens are 
 wanted for domestic purposes, they should be left at 
 liberty in the farm-yard, and if they have plenty of
 
 Poultry. 175 
 
 food they will be soon fit for the table, and rich and 
 juicy in flavour. Nowhere do you get these young 
 and juicy chickens better than at the country inns 
 in Ireland and Scotland. As soon as fowls are suffi- 
 ciently fat, they should be killed, or they will lose 
 flesh and become unhealthy. Turkeys are more deli- 
 cate to rear in their infancy than fowls, but they 
 become hardy as they grow older. When well-grown, 
 turkeys supply themselves in their ramblings, so that 
 they require no food but at leaving their homes in 
 the morning, and returning at night. After six 
 months, turkeys may be crammed, as is practised 
 with fowls ; but they require a much longer period 
 to render them fully fat for the table. Guinea fowls 
 are in the season greatly prized at London dinner 
 tables. The same food appropriated to the young of 
 gallinaceous fowls and turkeys, is good for guinea 
 chicks. 
 
 The white duck being the largest of the domesti- 
 cated kind, is the best for the poulterer, though it is 
 not usually considered so delicate in flavour as the 
 dark coloured. The grand object of preparing poultry 
 of all kinds as speedily as possible for the table, is 
 effected by supplying them with dry, soft, and green 
 food, by keeping them thoroughly clean, and by 
 affording them water and exercise ground. 
 
 Of the wholesomeness of poultry, as an article of 
 diet, Lemery thus speaks in his " Traite des Ali- 
 ments :"
 
 176 Poultry. 
 
 " Their flesh is pectoral, easily digested, produces 
 good juice, is very nourishing, increases the spirits, 
 moistens and cools, and is very proper for macerated 
 persons, that are recovering from sickness. Avicen 
 pretends, it makes the understanding more quick and 
 lively, and that it clears the voice. 
 
 " It agrees at all times, with any age and consti- 
 tution : in the meantime it is better for nice persons, 
 and such as lead an idle life, than for those who are 
 strong, robust, and used to a violent exercise or hard 
 labour, seeing these last require more solid food, and 
 that does not so easily waste." 
 
 "Some persons," he goes on to say, "formerly 
 were of opinion, that the eating of hens, chickens, 
 and capons, caused the gout ; and perhaps there were 
 two things that gave occasion for this popular error. 
 First, these animals are subject to the same disease, 
 and consequently may impart it to those who feed 
 upon them : but it would follow from hence, that we 
 must contract all the diseases of every animal we eat 
 of, which we find otherwise by experience. Secondly, 
 they were inclined to this opinion, from a considera- 
 tion that those who lead an idle life, fare high, and 
 feed upon juicy and nice food, such as chickens and 
 capons, are more afflicted with the gout than others; 
 but it is not because these people live usually upon 
 capons and chickens, that they are subject to this dis- 
 temper, but rather by reason of the idle life they 
 lead, and the excess they go to in all sorts of plea-
 
 Poultry. 177 
 
 sures. In short, if it were true that the eating of 
 these fowls brought the gout upon us, we should see 
 nothing else but gouty persons everywhere ; for we 
 may say, that there is now-a-days no food more com- 
 mon than poultry." 
 
 Of capons, this famous doctor thus speaks : 
 
 " Their flesh is very nourishing, it produces good 
 juice, is restorative, recovers decayed strength, good 
 for the phthisic and consumptions, easy of digestion ; 
 and they often make broth of it, in order to fortify 
 and recover strength. The flesh of a capon is in 
 virtue and taste much like unto that of a chicken ; 
 in the mean time, that of a capon is more nourishing, 
 pleasant and properer for people used to fatigue than 
 the other ; and the reason is, because this same flesh 
 contains juices that are more concocted, digested, and 
 fuller of oily balsamic particles." 
 
 When poultry is brought into the kitchen for use, 
 it should be kept as cool as possible. The best posi- 
 tion in which to place it is with the breast down- 
 wards, on a shelf or marble slab. The crop and the 
 gut of the rump should be taken out. Choose fowls 
 with a thin transparent skin, white and delicate. 
 Pigeons full fledged, are heating and hard to digest. 
 The younger they are in general the better, and in 
 Italy, where pigeons are much used, they are always 
 eaten young. 
 
 In choosing turkeys, select the brown Norfolk; 
 but if you can find any of the red American breed, 
 the flavour is still finer. 
 
 N
 
 178 Poultry. 
 
 I have said in another chapter that the finest fowl 
 in the world is the poularde du Mans, in the depart- 
 ment of La Sarthe. Here is a true description of the 
 manner in which that fine flavour which they possess 
 is given to the bird : 
 
 " It is to the feeding on barley, and to that only, 
 that the fine flavour of the poularde du Mans and of 
 La Fleche is to be traced. This is one of the joys and 
 delights of a gourmand, and if you have a little farm, 
 or even a trifle of a garden, you can fatten your own 
 fowl. With a little care and time, you will have 
 fowls and capons of an exquisite flavour. Feed them 
 with ground barley, mixed with bran and milk, for 
 some days, and then put them in a cage in a dark, dry 
 spot. Give them as much farinaceous barley and milk 
 as they can swallow. But mind, above and before all 
 things, to separate the little cocks from the hens. 
 This is indispensable, and must be rigorously ob- 
 served. In a fortnight or three weeks your fowls will 
 have acquired a fine and delicate obesity. * Beware,' 
 said Brillat de Savarin, ' of the turkey poults of the 
 neighbourhood of Paris. They have a bitterness 
 which revolts a delicate palate, for they are fed on 
 stale crusts, horse-chestnuts, and sour vegetables.' " 
 
 The ordinary barn-door fowl, for which so many 
 of us are compelled to pay 5s. Qd. in the month of 
 May, at the West-end poulterers, is thus remorselessly 
 treated by a French gourmand, Berchoux, in his 
 poem " La Gastronomic,''
 
 Poultry. 179 
 
 " Proscrivez sans pitie ces poulets domestiques, 
 Nourris en votre cour et constaminent etiques, 
 Toujours mal engraisses par des soins ignorants; 
 Ne connaissez que ceux de la Bresse ou du Mans." 
 
 A fowl or chicken should be kept some time before 
 it is cooked. If cooked immediately on being killed, 
 as is frequently the case at country inns in Ireland 
 and Scotland, even a young fowl is tough. Horace's 
 method of rendering a fowl tender is well remem- 
 bered by every Etonian: 
 
 " Si vespertinus subito te oppresserit hospes, 
 Ne gallina nialuui responset dura palato, 
 Doctus eris vivam musto mersare Falerno : 
 Hoc teneram faciet." 
 
 "Poultry," says M. Brillat Savarin, "is to the 
 kitchen that which canvas is to the painter, or Fortu- 
 natus' wishing cap to the charlatan. Poultry may 
 be served boiled, roasted, fried, hot or cold, whole or 
 in parts, with or without sauce, boned or unboned, 
 devilled, grilled, or farced, and always with equal 
 success." To my thinking, the best fowls in France 
 are those "du Mans," in the department of La Sarthe; 
 but M. Brillat Savarin holds those of Caux in Nor- 
 mandy, and de la Bresse, to be equally good. The 
 poularde of Montalbanois en Quercy is excellent. 
 
 For ages roast poultry has been a favourite dish in 
 England. Shakespeare, who knew every thing, from 
 heaven-born philosophy down to humblest household 
 affairs, puts into the mouth of Justice Shallow di-
 
 180 Poultry. 
 
 rections for a dinner, which might be eaten with relish 
 now-a-days. " Some pigeons, Davy ; a couple of 
 short-legged hens (the true criterion of goodness), a 
 joint of mutton, and any pretty, little tiny kick- 
 shaws." A capon in his day was as much relished as 
 now, and the cost, according to the papers found in 
 the pocket of Falstaff, was, a capon 2s. 2d., sauce 4d., 
 sack, two gallons, 5s. Sd., bread, a halfpenny. 
 
 Our roasting of poultry, though not so excellent as 
 our roasting of beef and mutton, is yet very good, 
 and unless a host be sure of his cook, he had better 
 order for his guest a roast capon, a roast fowl, or a 
 roast or boiled turkey. The turkey, either roast or 
 boiled is excellent, and the same remark applies to 
 fowl. If served boiled, nothing is better than good 
 celery sauce, either with fowl or turkey. There are 
 scores of ways of serving a, poularde in France. There 
 is the poularde rotie, the poularde au gros sel, the 
 poularde a la bourgeoise, the poularde a la Montmo- 
 rencey, a la Marseillaise, a la Tartare, au supreme, 
 invented by Beauvilliers, and a la Grimod de la 
 Reyniere. 
 
 There are also various entrees of fowl and chicken, 
 such as poulets a la reine, a la regence, a la Mont- 
 morency, a Fivoire; and various fricassees, as, a la che- 
 valiere, a la Saint Lambert, a lajinanciere, a la Bour- 
 guinonne, a la Villeroi, and tutti quanti; but it is ne- 
 cessary to say, that to produce these entrees, or the 
 filets de poulet a la royale, or cotellettes de cuisses de
 
 Poultry, 181 
 
 poulets a la perigueux, or a supreme de volatile, one 
 must have an accomplished cook. 
 
 The sooner we multiply schools of cookery for 
 entrees and entremets, the better. There are a couple 
 or three existing already, I believe : one in Morti- 
 mer Street, Cavendish Square ; one in Charles Street, 
 Middlesex Hospital; and one in Berners Street, Ox- 
 ford Street. But there ought to be twenty times a? 
 many. Nothing is so difficult to obtain as a good 
 cook, and yet higher wages are paid to male and 
 female cooks than to any other class of servants. 
 
 There is an immense consumption of turkeys at 
 Paris, at Christmas time, and a much larger con- 
 sumption in London. In the days of stages, the 
 Norfolk coaches were stowed with turkeys from the 
 middle of December to Twelfth-day; and in our day 
 the goods traffic on the Norfolk Railway is more than 
 trebled during Christmas. In the " Physiologic du 
 Gout," of Brillat Savarin, under the head " Influence 
 financiere du Dindon," is the following remark : 
 
 " I have some reason to think, that from the com- 
 mencement of November to the end of February, 
 300 truffled turkeys are daily consumed in Paris, 
 making a total of 36,000 turkeys. Calculate the 
 value of these." 
 
 The English have yet to learn the general use of 
 the truffle with the turkey. A rich bourgeois of 
 Paris will go to the expense of from 60 to 75 francs 
 for a first-rate turkey for his roti, and will after-
 
 182 Poultry. 
 
 wards disburse from 70 to 100 francs in truffles to 
 season the bird. We have no idea of this expendi- 
 ture in England, nor do our higher and better classes 
 use or consume truffles as they ought to be used. 
 Chaptal, who was one of Napoleon's Ministers of the 
 Interior in France, published a work, " Sur 1'Indus- 
 trie Fra^aise," in 1819. In it he speaks of the enor- 
 mous quantities of fowls in France : 
 
 " In order to have an idea (says the Comte de 
 Chaptal) of the enormous quantity of fowls of all 
 species which exists in France, it will suffice to ob- 
 serve, that there are annually sold at the markets of 
 Toulouse 120,000 geese, which are fattened in the 
 neighbourhood ; and M. Lavoisier has estimated the 
 number of eggs consumed at Paris, on an average of 
 several years, at 78,000,000, and the number of fowls 
 at 39,000,000. Supposing the price of each to be a 
 franc, including the cocks, this would give a capital of 
 41,600,000 francs. If to this be added the value of 
 hens and cocks, of turkeys, geese, ducks, and pigeons 
 renewed almost every year, the amount may be aug- 
 mented by 10,000,000 ; so that the capital for fowls 
 of all species amounts to 51,600,000 francs." 
 
 Some exquisites and Muscadins of the second Em- 
 pire maintain that there is nothing " si Chaussee 
 d'Antin," nothing " si lourdement bourgeois" as a 
 dinde aux truffes, as a plat de rot. Let these cox- 
 combs rail on. The dinde aux truffes, as a Christmas 
 Parisian dish, will survive them and the false gods of
 
 Poultry. 183 
 
 their idolatry. Of the turkey, Nonius says, " Egre 
 gie alunt et bonum succum corpori suppeditant."* 
 
 Some writers, such as Athenaeus, ./Elian, and Aris- 
 totle, would have us believe that turkeys were known 
 to the ancients under the name of Meleagrides, but 
 this is a mistake. It is a nice question when turkeys 
 first appeared in France, and who first introduced 
 them. La Mare, in his " Traite de la Police," would 
 have it that it was Jaques Cceur, the treasurer of 
 Charles VII. ; but this is also an error. According 
 to Champier, who wrote his treatise " De Re Cibaria," 
 in 1560, they were only introduced into France a 
 few years before he wrote. Here are his words: 
 " Venere in Gallias, annos abhinc paucos, aves quae- 
 dam external, quas gallinas indicas appellant : credo 
 quoniam ex Insulis India? nuper a Lusitanis His- 
 panisque palefacta3,primum invectae fuerunt in urbem 
 nostrum." 
 
 In the French poets of the thirteenth century, and 
 in authors still more ancient, there is frequent men- 
 tion of capons. Madame de Sevigne speaks of the 
 " poulardes de Can," and of the " bonnes poulardes 
 de Rennes." 
 
 In Regnard's " Comedy du Bal," A.D. 1696, the 
 author speaks in praise of " les poulardes de Caux." 
 
 Long nearly a century antecedent to this, our 
 
 *"Ludovici Nonni Dieteticon," Antverpiae, MDCXVI. Lib. n. 
 p. 242.
 
 184 Poultry. 
 
 own Shakespeare, had used the word "capon" again 
 and again; and again Le Grand d'Aussy contends that 
 the Gauls learned the art of fattening and cramming 
 fowls from the Romans. Crammed fowls were from 
 early times more esteemed in France than any others. 
 Among the officers of the Royal household in France 
 in early times, was a crammer of fowls. An ordon- 
 nance of St. Louis dated in 1261, more than six cen- 
 turies ago, gives to this officer the name of poulallier. 
 
 Our neighbours on the other side of the Straits of 
 Dover are not only very fond of fowls and capons, 
 but of much smaller birds. They eat thrushes, black- 
 birds, and robin red-breasts. Dr. Roques, in his 
 " Fragments sur les Plantes usuelles," thus speaks 
 of this liking for smaller birds : 
 
 " The taste for blackbirds and thrushes has passed 
 from the ancients to the moderns. These birds are 
 much esteemed in Germany, and in our southern pro- 
 vinces. The blackbirds of Corsica and Provence are 
 renowned, above all renowned as they feed on myrtle 
 and juniper-berries. Cardinal Fesch, archbishop of 
 Lyons, had a supply every year from Corsica. One 
 dined at the house of his eminence partly because of his 
 agreeable manners, partly for the noble and gracious 
 reception he gave you, but, also, for his blackbirds, 
 which were of exquisite flavour. More than one 
 Lyonnese gourmand impatiently waited for the archi- 
 episcopal clock to strike six. Then it was that these 
 delicate little birds appeared upon the table, their de-
 
 Poultry. 185 
 
 licious perfume charming all the guests. Their appear- 
 ance, their seductive tournure, were also admired. 
 Their backs were garnished with a small bouquet of 
 fried sage, in some sort imitating the tail with which 
 they were furnished when they poured forth their notes 
 from the elm and hawthorn. ' But what,' the reader 
 will exclaim, 'you do not speak of the fine oil in 
 which these beautiful birds were baked, nor of the 
 agreeable rotis, whose bitterness strengthened your 
 stomach, while it perfumed your mouth ?' You are 
 right, judicious reader." 
 
 Although the poulterers in London truss all the 
 different animals which they send home, yet, as it 
 often happens, that untrussed game and poultry are 
 sent to private families from the country, it is neces- 
 sary that the art of trussing should be known by 
 every cook.
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 GAME AND PASTKY. 
 
 AME in England is declared to include 
 hares, pheasants, partridges, grouse, 
 heath or moor game, black game, and 
 bustard. Snipe, quail, landrail, wood- 
 cock, and conies are not game ; but they can only be 
 taken or killed by certificated persons. Game has 
 been always prized amongst us at table ; and it has 
 been a subject of legislation from the Conquest to the 
 present time. In the time of Queen Mary, there 
 was not only a keeper of pheasants and partridges to 
 the queen, but likewise a taker. The kings of 
 England had also, formerly, a swanherd ; and Sir E. 
 Coke makes this office one of his titles in the Fourth 
 Institute.* The 17 chap, of Henry VIII. is en- 
 titled, " The forfeiture for taking of fesants and par- 
 
 * See 4 Inst., cap. Ixvi. The office of swanherd is in 
 Rot. Patentium, anno 11 and 4, called "Magister deductus 
 Cygnorum." See " Le case de Swannes," lib. 7.
 
 Game and Pastry. 187 
 
 tridges, or the eggs of hawkes or swans." That the 
 gentry, even in those early days, were imbued with 
 sound common sense, and could regard the pleasur- 
 able as well as the palatable and profitable side of a 
 question, will appear from the preamble to this statute. 
 It recites the great injury to lords of manors, not 
 only from the loss of the pleasure and disport to their 
 friends and servants, but likewise the loss to their 
 kitchen and table. So that in 1494, ideas of gour- 
 mandise and good cheer were just as rife as in 1864. 
 Falconry, says the Hon. Daines Barrington,* first 
 occasioned the system of game laws; and hence, 
 herons were held in high esteem, being the noblest 
 bird the falcon could fly at. There can be no doubt 
 whatever that, less than three centuries ago, herons 
 were eaten both in England and France. Our an- 
 cestors, indeed, were much less delicate and less par- 
 ticular as to the tenderness of their food than their 
 descendants, for they ate not only the heron, but the 
 crane, the crow, the cormorant, and the bittern. In 
 an old cookery book of Taillevant, who was first 
 cook of Charles VII. of France, there are receipts 
 for dressing these last-named birds. In the statutes 
 of Bordeaux, made in 1585, with a view to regulate 
 the sale of game, in the regulation of Henry II. in 
 1549, for the same object the heron is counted among 
 
 * "Observations on the Ancient Statutes." Dublin: Grierson, 
 1767.
 
 188 Game and Pastry. 
 
 the number of birds allowed to be brought to market. 
 When Charles IX. passed through Amiens, he was 
 offered, among other birds, twelve herons, six bitterns, 
 and six swans. Belon, in his history of birds, written 
 in 1554, says, that the bittern, though of a nauseous 
 taste at first, " est cependant entre les delices fran- 
 9oises;" and Liebant calls the heron "une viande 
 royale." Heronnieres were, in his day, as common 
 among French gentlemen as were faisanderies in 
 1760 or 1780. Three centuries ago, vultures and 
 falcons, and other birds of prey, were also eaten in 
 France now, and for a century and a half, sofriande 
 and dainty in its tastes. In Auvergne, Belon states 
 that in winter every one ate of a kind of eagle, named 
 boudree, orgorian; though he admits owls and birds feed- 
 ing on carrion were not served at table. It is singu- 
 lar that the very people who then ate herons, vultures, 
 and cormorants, would not touch young game. They 
 regarded leverets and young partridges as indigestible, 
 and only partook of old hares and old birds. Henry 
 Stevens states that the eating of young game was in- 
 troduced by the Ambassador of France, who had 
 sojourned at Venice. Game among our neighbours, 
 the French, is divided into gros gibier and menu gibier. 
 In the gros gibier is comprised the buck, doe, stag, 
 wild boar, &c. ; and the menu gibier comprehends 
 pheasant, wild duck, teal, larks, ring-doves, partridges, 
 woodcocks, quails, ortolans, thrushes, grouse, red- 
 breasts, lapwings, &c. French writers also speak of
 
 Game and Pastry. 189 
 
 le gibier a poil, in which are comprised hares, leverets, 
 and rabbits. It will be at once seen that the French 
 consider as game many small birds on which we set 
 little value. In the excellence and succulence of our 
 game, and the number of our game preserves, we 
 beat the world. The only countries that can be 
 compared to England in the excellence and abun- 
 dance of game are Hungary, Styria, Carinthia, and 
 parts of the Basque provinces, Gallicia, and Spanish 
 and Portuguese Estremadura. 
 
 Southey, who visited Spain in 1797, speaks thus 
 in his letters of having a woodcock for supper at 
 Merida : " At Merida we had a woodcock for sup- 
 per, which we trussed ourselves ; but the old woman 
 of the house brought up the bird sprawling, told us 
 that they had forgot to cut off the rump and draw it, 
 and then poked her finger in to show how clean the 
 inside was." 
 
 Nearly thirty years after this date I can myself 
 bear testimony to the abundance of game in parts of 
 Spain, and to the excellent manner in which a salmi 
 of partridges is occasionally served in the Peninsula. 
 It is one of the few dishes in Spanish cookery which 
 an Englishman can relish. 
 
 Game is a light food, and easy of digestion ; and 
 there is no country in the world in which it is plainly 
 roasted so well as in England. But in sautes, filets, or 
 cutlets of game, in salmis of game aux truffes, a la ro- 
 cambole, in crepinettes, or a la provenqale, we are not
 
 190 Game and Pastry. 
 
 to be spoken of in the same century with the French. 
 There are even tolerably simple ways of dressing 
 game a la frangaise, in which some of our French 
 cooks are no adepts. I will not speak of perdreau 
 aux choux, for I deem it profanation to serve cabbage 
 with so admirable a bird; but you cannot always 
 trust a good English cook to serve a partridge or a 
 quail a laftnanciere. Our game pies, more especially 
 in country houses, are good, but they are not to be 
 compared to the pate de becassines aux truffes, or the 
 pates des cailles aux fines herbes, or to the pate de 
 godiveau aux champignons, or aux truffes. The che- 
 vreuil a France is very inferior to our venison, and 
 it is only the sauce poivrade, the truffles, or the filet 
 a ritalienne, or a la Marechale that makes it eatable. 
 It may be asked why we cannot have these dishes in 
 England ? There is no reason why we should not have 
 them, if schools of French cookery are multiplied, and 
 families will go to the expense of the Madeira and 
 Malaga wines, the truffles, the morels, the button 
 mushrooms, and the bunches of sweet herbs. These 
 things are expensive in London ; and there are few 
 so prone to obey the vulgar appetite of the belly 
 to use a phrase of the Roman historian, Sallust 
 that the outlay is not incurred. Our peers, our 
 country gentlemen, as well as our wealthy merchants, 
 are quite content to have their game well-roasted, 
 which means not overdone. It is one of the old 
 canons of cookery to spit the game when the first
 
 Game and Pastry. 191 
 
 course is removed : " Quand le premier service est 
 fini il faut mettre le gibier a la broche." I cannot 
 choose but think, however, that we may easily vary 
 our roast hare and boiled rabbit by fillets and cutlets 
 of both, by civets of hare, and by salmis and scollops 
 of pheasant a la Bourguinotte, and a la Richelieu, 
 or fillets of partridge a la Perigird, or a la 
 Lucullus. 
 
 Pheasant is often a dry bird in England, and 
 oftener so in France; but I would not order a 
 woodcock en salmi, unless the bird were of vener- 
 able age. Nonius, who wrote about 240 years ago, 
 tells us there are two sorts of pheasants in France ; 
 one is called Royal and the other is called bruyant. 
 Here are his words: "Galli duplex phasianorum 
 genus statunt, Regium unum quod prestantius est de 
 quo jam diximus, alterum quod Bruyant vocant.* 
 But in this the learned writer is probably mistaken, 
 and confounds bruyant with Coq de bruyere. Grimod 
 de la Reyniere says: " A pheasant should be sus- 
 pended by the tail, and eaten when he detaches himself 
 from this incumbrance. It is thus that a pheasant 
 hung on Shrove Tuesday is susceptible of being 
 spitted on Easter-day. 
 
 I have not said anything on pastry or cold entrees, 
 because the pastry-cook and the cook constitute, in 
 
 * Nonni " De He Cib." Lib. II.
 
 192 Game and Pastry. 
 
 France and in most continental countries, two differ- 
 ent trades or employments. In England, however, 
 the cook and the pastry-cook are often, in consider- 
 able establishments, amalgamated ; so that the per- 
 fect or professed cook should be conversant with 
 every branch of his or her profession, as few estab- 
 lishments, even of the highest in rank or the most 
 wealthy, include a cook and a confectioner, or pastry- 
 cook. Those, therefore, who, in this country, are 
 anxious to excel in their art, ought to be acquainted 
 with the various preparations of pastry, by which 
 I mean not merely tarts, puddings, but feuilletage, 
 or puff-paste, and paste for hot and cold pies, paste 
 for timbals, half-puff paste, and paste for heavy 
 cakes, &c. 
 
 From Car^me's observations on making paste, one 
 may conceive that, to his thinking, the operation was 
 difficult. " The soul of the operation," says he, " con- 
 sists in having the paste well mingled ; for, should 
 there be any neglect in the preparation, a bad result 
 only can be obtained : also, if the pastry, when baked, 
 possesses a colour the least objectionable to the eye 
 of the connoisseur, it will be no less disagreeable to 
 the palate, being heavy and indigestible ; therefore 
 the manipulation should be perfect, both in the oven 
 and on the table. It is easier to bake than to make 
 it. The oven claims, it is true, care, assiduity, and 
 practice ; but the composition permits not mediocrity 
 requiring memory, taste and skill for, from its perfect
 
 Game and Pastry. 1 93 
 
 seasonings, and the due amalgamation of the different 
 bodies of which it is composed, it receives its good or 
 bad qualities. The oven is one simple and self-same 
 thing the compositions are varied to infinity." 
 
 In most moderate establishments, where a regular 
 dinner is given, the ordinary cook, with the aid of a 
 first-rate man cook, has quite enough to do in pre- 
 paring the soup, fish, meats, fowl, and game, without 
 being embarrassed with patties and pastry. I would 
 therefore suggest that in establishments where there 
 are not first-rate assistants, and a sufficient number of 
 them, patties, and all kinds of pastry, jellies, ices, &c., 
 should be procured from the confectioner. There are 
 many first-rate confectioners who undertake this 
 duty, such as Gunter, Grange, Bridgman, Waud, 
 and others. A great deal of trouble will thus be 
 saved to the host; and unless his kitchen and his ser- 
 vants be all of a superior description, it is likely the 
 small patties, pastry, ices, and confectionary, will be 
 better from the confectioner's than if prepared at 
 home. Of course, every professed cook ought to know 
 how to make pates of venison and of all sorts of game 
 and fish ; but with what the French call patisserie it 
 is different, and entertainers who wish these articles 
 will do well to order them from a confectioner. 
 
 For small family dinners every good cook should 
 know how to make apricot puffs, orange or rum jelly, 
 llanc-manger, tourtes, apple tarts, souffles, iced pud- 
 dings, gauffres, nougats, merlitons, Charlottes a la 
 
 o
 
 194 Game and Pastry. 
 
 Russe, gooseberry and all tartlets ; but this is a 
 widely different thing from undertaking this duty 
 for a dinner of fourteen, sixteen, or twenty persons, 
 in addition to the two or three courses. For my own 
 part, I have remarked that the people most in the 
 habit of dining out eat very sparingly of pates and 
 pastry. 
 
 Under the head patisseries, the French in general 
 comprehend, first, les pates chauds et tourtes d 'entrees. 
 Secondly, les pates froids, les gateaux, les patisseries 
 sucrees. Thirdly, les patisseries seches ou croquantes, 
 eaten at dessert. In early ages, in France, the caba- 
 retiers, who furnished food to the traveller, furnished 
 also pastry. Saint Louis, in 1270, regulated this trade 
 by certain statutes ; but there was not a regular com- 
 pany of pdtissiers till 1567. One hundred and fifty 
 years ago Pithiviers was celebrated for its pates of 
 larks ; Perigueux, for its pates of truffled partridges ; 
 Amiens, for its turkeys and geese ; Angers, for its 
 poulardes ; Versailles, for hsfoiesgras, and Strasbourg 
 and Toulouse, for its pates offoies d"oies. It was not 
 till 1780 that & pdtissier of Paris invented pates de 
 jambon. When 1'Hopital was Chancellor of France, 
 he forbade the sale of petits pates in Paris, on the 
 ground, " qu'un pareil commerce favorisait d'un cotei 
 la gourmandise et de 1'autre la paresse."
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 CHEESE AND SALADS. 
 
 HERE is a great deal of difference in 
 cheese. Much depends on the prepar- 
 ation and seasoning, much on its being 
 new or old, much on its taste and smell. 
 That is the best cheese which is neither too old nor 
 too new, which is called fat, and is salted enough, 
 and which is of middling consistence, has been made 
 of good milk, and is of good taste and smell. Cheese 
 is nourishing enough, and helps digestion if you take 
 but a little of it, according to the Latin line 
 " Caseus ille bonus quern dat avara manus." 
 
 The flavour and goodness of cheese depends in a 
 considerable degree on the nature of the pasture on 
 which the cows are fed; yet the mode in which 
 the different stages of the lubrication of the curd is 
 managed, is also to be taken into consideration. 
 Hence the superiority of the cheeses of particular 
 districts over others, without any apparent difference 
 in the pasture. Soft and rich cheeses are the best
 
 196 Cheese and Salads. 
 
 for the epicure's dinner, and are not intended to be 
 kept long. Hard and dry cheeses will not be re- 
 lished by men of taste, or offered by hosts who care 
 for the comfort and health of their guests. Of the 
 rich cheeses almost all are cream cheeses ; and those 
 soft cheeses called Bath and Yorkshire cheeses, sold 
 as soon as made : but these if kept too long become 
 soft and putrid. 
 
 Stilton and Gruyere cheeses are intermediate 
 between the soft and hard. The Gruyere and Par- 
 mesan cheeses differ only in the nature of the niilk, 
 and in the degree of heat given to the curd in 
 different parts of the process. Gruyere cheese is 
 entirely made from new milk, and Parmesan from 
 skimmed milk. In the first nothing is added to give 
 flavour ; in the latter, saffron gives both colour and 
 flavour. 
 
 The best English cheeses are the Stilton, Cheshire, 
 double Gloucester, and Cheddar; and Stilton and 
 Cheshire are greatly prized in Paris. For the last 
 thirty years or more it has appeared to me that finer 
 Stilton and Cheshire cheeses are to be had in the 
 restaurants of Paris than in London. The Stilton 
 and Cheshire cheeses at Chevets, Corcellets, and other 
 magazins de comestibles in Paris, are larger than those 
 generally seen in London, and I dare say a better 
 price is paid for them by the French than by the 
 English dealers, for gourmands in Paris will give 
 larger prices for table luxuries than people ejusdem
 
 Cheese and Salads. 197 
 
 farincB in London. It may be also that our English 
 cheeses, like our English and Irish porter, is im- 
 proved by the voyage, though if this were so, there 
 is no reason why one should not eat better cheese in 
 Dublin than in London, which one never does. My 
 idea is that the super-excellence of the Stilton in 
 Paris arises from the fact that it is improved or 
 doctored (to use a trade phrase) by a perfect connois- 
 seur in the art of improving comestibles. Cellarmen 
 in France, when a cheese has become very dry, wash 
 it several times in soft water, and then lay it in a 
 cloth moistened with wine or vinegar till it becomes 
 soft and mellow, which it will inevitably become if it 
 be a rich cheese. 
 
 Stilton cheese is made by adding the cream of 
 the preceding evening's milk to the morning's milk- 
 ing. To eat a Stilton cheese in perfection, you must 
 not only have one made of rich milk, but manage it 
 well after it is so made. Epicures prefer a Stilton 
 cheese with a green mould. To accelerate the 
 growth of this mould, pieces of mouldy or over-ripe 
 cheese are inserted into holes made for the purpose 
 by a scoop or instrument called a taster. Wine or 
 ale is then poured in. But the best Stiltons do not 
 require this, for they are in perfection when the 
 inside is soft and rich, like butter, without any 
 appearance of mouldiness. Cheeses are frequently 
 coloured to make them look rich; the substance 
 most commonly used for this purpose is arnotto, or
 
 198 Cheese and Salads. 
 
 the juice of the orange, carrot, and marygold 
 flowers. 
 
 The best cheeses in France are those of Neufchatel 
 in Normandy, of Brie, which is much eaten in Paris, 
 and above all, thefromage de Roquefort en Bouergue, 
 now called Aveyron. To my taste this is the best 
 of all dry cheeses ; it has some analogy with Stilton, 
 but is much finer. Roquefort cheese is manufac- 
 tured in the village whose name it bears. Some 
 portion of the excellence of this cheese is due to the 
 cellars in which the straining or refining of the cheese 
 takes place, and some portion to the peculiar manner 
 in which the animals are milked ; a process which is 
 explained by M. Giron de Bazareinques. Roquefort 
 cheese is made of a mixture of sheep and goat's milk ; 
 the first communicates consistence and quality, the 
 latter whiteness and a peculiar flavour. Roquefort 
 cheese may be had in perfection at Corcellets' Palais 
 Royal, and at Morel's in Piccadilly. 
 
 Gruyere cheese is made in the canton of Fri- 
 burg, in Switzerland, and in the provinces of Tranche, 
 Comte, Bresse, and Bugey. There is a cheese made 
 in the Mont d'Or, in Auvergne, which has a high 
 flavour. 
 
 At large dinners in London, cheese is oftenest 
 eaten in the form of ramequins, or grated Parmesan, 
 and other preparations ; but at small dinners the 
 Stilton, the Roquefort, the Chester, the double 
 Gloucester, or the Somersetshire cheese is invariably 
 produced.
 
 Cheese and Salads. 199 
 
 For nearly a thousand years the art of mixing 
 herbs and cheese together has been known in Eng- 
 land and France. In France this operation is called 
 persiller, because a good deal of parsley is mixed with 
 the cheese, as here we mix a good deal of sage. 
 
 Cheese is always produced at the end of a repast. 
 In any other fashion the Italian proverb makes light 
 
 of it: 
 
 " Fromagio, peri, e pan 
 Pasto de vilan." 
 
 According to La Bruyere Champier, who, when 
 attached to the household of Francis I. in a medical 
 capacity in 1560, wrote his treatise " De Re Cibaria," 
 cheese was the principal production, and the prin- 
 cipal aliment of the Auvergnats. 
 
 In the earliest times in France, several of the pro- 
 vinces made good cheeses. Pliny states that those 
 of Ximes were much sought for in his time at Rome, 
 as well as those of Mont Losere and the neighbour- 
 hood : but these cheeses would not keep, and were 
 eaten fresh. Martial makes mention of the cheese of 
 Toulouse. 
 
 Italian cheeses were not introduced into France 
 till the time of Charles VIII. When this monarch 
 on his expedition to Naples passed through Pla- 
 centia, or Placenza, as it is more commonly called, 
 the citizens presented him with several cheeses. 
 But he was so astonished at the size of them (" aussi 
 grand," says Monstrelet, " quasi comme la largcur de
 
 200 Cheese and Salads. 
 
 raeules a moulin") that out of curiosity he sent one 
 to the queen and to the Duke of Bourbon, who were 
 then sojourning in Bourbonnais. It was found ex- 
 cellent, and henceforth came into general use. De 
 Serres, who wrote in 1600, gave the first rank among 
 foreign cheeses to Parmesan, and the second to Tur- 
 key cheeses, which arrived in France in bladders. 
 Gontier, in his treatise " De Sanitate tuenda," 
 written in 1688, mentions among excellent cheeses 
 that of Gruyere. 
 
 Ninety or a hundred years ago, the taste as to 
 cheese changed in Paris, and not long antecedent to 
 the French Revolution of 1789, cheese was thought 
 fit food only for Germans, English, or Italians. 
 
 The popular proverb then was 
 
 " Jamais homme sage, 
 Ne mangea fromage." 
 
 But, nevertheless, any one who examines cookery 
 books of the time of Louis XV. and Louis XVI., 
 will find that cheese was used in an infinity of ragouts, 
 and that toasted cheese was placed in a liquid state 
 on toast, with cinnamon, sugar, and aromatic spices. 
 This was evidently an improvement on the old 
 Welsh-rabbit, or rare-bit, which was so seldom well 
 done, even at the Wrekin in Russell Court, Covent 
 Garden, a house frequented by Edmund Kean in my 
 younger days. Dr. King, in his " Art of Cookery," 
 thus speaks of toasted cheese:
 
 Cheese and Salads. 201 
 
 " Happy the man that has each fortune tried, 
 To whom she much has given and much denied; 
 With abstinence all delicate he sees, 
 And can regale himself on toasted cheese." 
 
 Of caseous substances, Nonius says : " Magua est 
 differentia inter recentein et vetustum caseum. Re- 
 cens enim et mollis, duratis et veteribus salubritatis 
 caussa preferendus. Teste enim Dioscoride, magis alit, 
 stomacho utilis, corpus auget, et facillime digeritur. 
 Minus vero nutrit si sale aspersus fuerit et stomacho 
 inutilis. Vetustos caseos Galenus damnat."* 
 
 I have not said any thing of the Schabzeiger cheese 
 of Switzerland, or the Strachino of Milan, as there 
 are few English people who relish anything so rank. 
 Roquefort is a much finer cheese than either of 
 them, but the consumption of Roquefort in England 
 is singularly small. 
 
 * Nonni, "De Re Ciberia," lib. ii., p. 215.
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 ON SALAD. 
 
 IN 1664, if my memory serves me rightly, 
 John Evelyn wrote a treatise " On 
 Salets," in a small volume, which I pos- 
 sess in my library ; but I cannot, at this 
 moment, lay my hand on the little book. Though 
 curious in a certain sense, the treatise would be found 
 more useful for the horticulturist than for the cook. 
 Salads are now, as in Evelyn's day, composed of cer- 
 tain pot-herbs, to which are added various aromatical 
 odoriferous herbs, or fournitures (that is the term of 
 art in French cookery), which greatly add to the 
 zest of the mixture. There are about twelve of these 
 herbes defourniture, as they are called, namely, gar- 
 den-cress, water-cress, chervil, chives, scallions or 
 green onions, tarragon, pimpernel or burnet, parsley 
 pert, hartshorn, sweet basil, purslain, fennel, and young 
 balsam. Cresses are wholesome and anti-scorbutic, 
 chervil is a purifier, chives a stimulant, tarragon sto- 
 machic and corroborant, while parsley is carminative,
 
 On Salad. 203 
 
 and the remaining herbs are all pronounced by 
 Leinery in his " Traite des Aliments," to have medi- 
 cinal virtues. Salads, of course, vary according to 
 the season. Chicoree or endive, is in season at the 
 end of autumn, and it is not usual to add any herbe 
 de foumiture to that salad. Some, in France, place 
 at the bottom of the salad-basin containing an endive 
 salad, a small crust of stale bread rubbed over with 
 garlic, which gives a slight flavour to the dish. Later 
 in the season, another species of chicoree, called 
 scarole, is had recourse to. It is not so tender as 
 chicory or succory, but has as much flavour, and is 
 quite as wholesome. Chicory or succory is, accord- 
 ing to Lemery, of a moistening and cooling nature, 
 and creates an appetite. Winter salads are generally 
 composed of mdche or corn salad, rampions (which, 
 according to Lemery, " fortify the stomach, help di- 
 gestion, are detersive, and agree with every age and 
 constitution"), and chopped celery. Sometimes, also, 
 in winter, a salad is made exclusively of chopped 
 celery, seasoned with oil and mustard. 
 
 Garden or water-cress is also a winter salad. It is 
 good to mix it with slices of beetroot; and in France, 
 more especially in Provence, olives are often added. 
 Towards February, the salad most in vogue is an en- 
 dive called barbe de Capucin, or Capucin's beard. It 
 is seasoned like the white succory. 
 
 The lettuce, known in England for more than 
 three centuries, generally appears about the com-
 
 204 On Salad. 
 
 mencement of Lent, but the better sort of lettuce 
 does not make its appearance before Easter. It is 
 the most popular of all salads, and possesses soothing 
 properties. Herbes de fourniture are added to it, 
 with which anchovies and chopped chives are mixed. 
 Sometimes, to vary the dish, prawns and shrimps are 
 likewise thrown in. 
 
 Next comes the Roman lettuce, less watery, and 
 with much fuller and finer flavour than the pre- 
 ceding, especially when the leaves are streaked. The 
 Roman lettuce is sometimes served with odoriferous 
 herbs, but hard eggs are rarely added to the season- 
 ing. Roman lettuce is in season from May to the 
 end of Autumn. 
 
 Besides these, there are hotch-potch salads, made 
 en Macedoine, with a variety of roots and vegetables, 
 such as French beans, haricots blancs, lentils, small 
 onions, beetroot, saxifrage, or goat's beard (called in 
 French, salsifis), potatoes, carrots, artichoke-bottoms, 
 asparagus -tops, gherkins, sliced anchovies, soused 
 tunny, olives, truffles, &c. 
 
 There are salads also of meat, fish, and game. A 
 salade a Titalienne is composed of cold fowl cut up in 
 pieces, and served with anchovies and dressed salad. 
 Sometimes this salad is made with a cold partridge ; 
 and very relishing it is. 
 
 I insert here Careme's receipt for a salade depoulets 
 a la Heine. It will be seen that, like all his receipts, 
 it would be somewhat costly : " Dress in a poele, or
 
 On Salad. 205 
 
 roast four fine chickens, and when cold cut them in 
 pieces, as for a fricassee; lay the pieces in a basin, 
 with salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, whole parsley washed, 
 a small onion sliced, or a shalot, and cover with a 
 round piece of paper; leave them in this seasoning 
 for some hours; boil eight eggs of the same size hard, 
 and take off the shells ; wash six fine lettuces ; half 
 an hour before serving, drain the fowl upon a napkin, 
 separating the small pieces of parsley and onions, take 
 the leaves from the lettuces, preserving the hearts 
 very small, cut the leaves small, season them as a 
 salad usually is, and turn them into the dish; lay 
 upon them in a circle the eight thighs of the fowls, 
 in the centre put the wings, upon the top of the 
 thighs lay the rumps and two of the breasts only, 
 surmount these with the fillets, laying one the smooth 
 side upwards, and the next the contrary way, or up- 
 side down (as four are taken from the left, and four 
 from the right side), on these lay the two other 
 breasts ; be careful to keep this entree very neat and 
 very upright ; make a border of eggs cut in eight 
 pieces, and between each quarter place upright small 
 hearts of lettuces, each heart cut in four or even six 
 pieces; place half an egg, in which fix upright a 
 heart of lettuce, and place it on the summit of the 
 salad; then mix in a basin a good pinch of chervil 
 and some tarragon leaves, both being chopped and 
 blanched, with salt, pepper, oil, ravigote vinegar, 
 and a spoonful of aspic jelly, chopped small; the
 
 206 On Salad. 
 
 whole well mingled, pour it over the salad and serve 
 immediately." 
 
 The vinegar used in salads should always be wine 
 vinegar, not pyroligneous acid. 
 
 Chaptal, the great chymist, and afterwards Minister 
 of the Interior, in France, has given a receipt for 
 dressing salad. He directs that the salad should be 
 saturated with oil, and seasoned with salt and pepper, 
 before the vinegar is added. It results from this 
 process that there never can be too much vinegar, 
 for, from the specific gravity of the vinegar compared 
 with oil, what is more than needful will fall to the 
 bottom of the salad bowl. The salt should not be 
 dissolved in the vinegar, but in the oil, by which 
 means it is more equally distributed through the 
 salad. 
 
 There are also salads of lemons, oranges, pome- 
 granates, pears, apples, &c. ; but these will be more 
 properly spoken of under the head Dessert. 
 
 The following receipt for a winter salad is from 
 the pen of one of the wittiest men, and one of the 
 purest writers of England of this generation, the 
 late Sydney Smith: 
 
 " Two large potatos, passed through kitchen sieve, 
 Unwonted softness to the salad give. 
 Of mordent mustard add a single spoon ; 
 Distrust the condiment which bites so soon ; 
 But deem it not, thou man of herbs, a fault 
 To add a double quantity of salt.
 
 On Salad. 207 
 
 Three times the spoon with oil of Lucca crown, 
 
 And once with vinegar procured from town. 
 
 True flavour needs it, and your poet begs, 
 
 The pounded yellow of two well-boiled eggs. 
 
 Let onion atoms lurk within the bowl, 
 
 And, scarce suspected, animate the whole ; 
 
 And lastly, on the flavoured compound toss 
 
 A magic teaspoon of anchovy sauce. 
 
 Then, though green turtle fail, though venison's tough, 
 
 And ham and turkey are not boiled enough, 
 
 Serenely full the Epicure may say, 
 
 Fate cannot harm me I have dined to-day ! " 
 
 The Spanish proverb says, that to make a perfect 
 salad, there should be a miser for oil, a spendthrift 
 for vinegar, a wise man for salt, and a madcap to stir 
 the ingredients up and mix them well together. The 
 proverb is perfect with the exception of the last 
 member of the sentence. A patient and discreet 
 man, a painstaking and careful man or woman should 
 be entrusted with the duty of mixing the salad with 
 its seasoning. 
 
 The French say, " II faut bien fatiguer la salade." 
 It is said by a dramatic writer, 
 
 " Toute franchise a ce que j'imagine, 
 Sait bien ou mal faire un peu de cuisine ;" 
 
 and the same may be said of every Frenchman. Some 
 of the emigrants, who fled to England and other coun- 
 tries between 1790 and 1804, gained their livelihood 
 by giving lessons in cookery; and Brillat Savarin tells 
 us, in one of his chapters, that when in emigration at 
 Boston, in America, he taught the restaurateur Julien
 
 208 On Salad. 
 
 to make ceufs brouilles au fromaye. Captain Collet, 
 also, he tells, made a great deal of money at New York 
 in 1794 and 1795, in making ices and sorbets. In my 
 earlier days there were two Frenchmen in London 
 who made good incomes by dressing salads, and each 
 of them kept his cabriolet. One took as a fee 10s. 6d., 
 but the other charged a guinea. 
 
 In an article, headed " Industrie gastronomique 
 des Emigres," Brillat Savarin thus speaks of a 
 famous salad-dresser : 
 
 " In passing through Cologne I met a Breton gen- 
 tleman who made a good thing of it by becoming a 
 traiteur. I might multiply examples of this kind to 
 an indefinite extent, but I prefer relating, as more 
 singular, the history of a Frenchman who acquired 
 a fortune in London by his cleverness in making 
 a salad. He was a Limousin, and, if my memory 
 serve me rightly, called himself d'Aubignac, or d'Al- 
 bignac. Though his means were very small sub- 
 sequent to his emigration, he happened to dine one 
 day at one of the most famous taverns of London. 
 Whilst he was in the act of finishing a slice of juicy 
 roast beef, five or six young men of the first families 
 were regaling themselves at a neighbouring table. 
 One among them stood up, and, addressing the French- 
 man in a polite tone, said, ' Sir, it is a general opinion 
 that your nation excels in the art of making a salad, 
 would you have the goodness to favour us by mixing 
 one for us?' D'Albignac, after some hesitation, con-
 
 On Salad. 209 
 
 sented, asked for the necessary materials, and having 
 taken pains to mix a perfect salad, had the good for- 
 tune to succeed. While the salad was in process of 
 mixing, he candidly answered all questions addressed 
 to him on his situation and prospects ; stated he was 
 an emigrant, and confessed, not without a slight 
 blush, that he received pecuniary aid from the British 
 government. It was this avowal, doubtless, which 
 induced one of the young men to slip into his hand a 
 five-pound note, which, after a slight resistance, he 
 accepted. He gave the young man his address, and 
 some time afterwards was not a little surprised to re- 
 ceive a letter, in which he was asked in the politest 
 terms to come and dress a salad in one of the best 
 houses in Grosvenor Square. D' Albignac, who began 
 to have a distant glimmering of durable advantage, 
 did not hesitate an instant, and arrived punctually, 
 fortified with some new ingredients destined to add 
 new relish to his mixture. He had the good fortune 
 to succeed a second time, and received on this occa- 
 sion such a sum as he could not have refused without 
 injuring himself in more ways than one. 
 
 " This second success made more noise than the first, 
 so that the reputation of the emigrant quickly ex- 
 tended. He soon became known as the fashionable 
 salad-maker; and in a country so much led by fashion, 
 all that was elegant in the capital of the three king- 
 doms would have a salad made by him. D' Albignac, 
 like a man of sense, profited by his popularity. He 
 
 p
 
 210 On Salad. 
 
 soon sported a vehicle, in order the more readily to 
 transport him from place to place, together with a 
 livery servant carrying in a mahogany case every- 
 thing necessary, such as differently perfumed vinegars, 
 oils with or without the taste of fruit, soy, caviare, 
 truffles, anchovies, ketchup gravy, some yolks of 
 eggs. Subsequently he caused similar cases to be 
 manufactured, which he furnished and sold by hun- 
 dreds. By degrees the salad-dresser realised a 
 fortune of 80,000 francs, with which he ultimately 
 returned to France." 
 
 Three centuries ago, we learn from Champier, who 
 wrote in 1560, that many materials were used for 
 salads which are not thought of now ; among others, 
 fennel, marshmallow-tops, hops, wild marjoram, 
 elder-flowers, and a species of nettle. Tomatas and 
 asparagus were also at this period used as salads. 
 
 In a "Memoire pour faire un Ecriteau pour un Ban- 
 quet," published in the sixteenth century, I find in 
 the list of salads the following : 
 
 1. Salade blanche. 
 
 2. Salade verte. 
 
 3. Salade de citron. 
 
 4. Salade d'entremets. 
 
 5. Salade de grenade. 
 
 6. Salade de Houblon. 
 
 7. Salade de laitues. 
 
 8. Salade d'olives. 
 
 9. Salade de perce-pierre.
 
 On Salad. 211 
 
 10. Salade de poires de bon cretien. 
 
 11. Salade de pourpier confit. 
 
 We know better in our day than to make a salad of 
 asparagus. Dr. Roques thus speaks of asparagus in his 
 " Observations sur les Plantes usuelles : " The as- 
 paragus grows naturally in the woods, in the hedges, 
 in the sea-sand, and on the banks of rivers. The 
 ancients knew and cultivated asparagus. Athenams 
 speaks of field and mountain asparagus ; he says the 
 best are those which grow naturally, without being 
 sown. Martial, Pliny, and Juvenal also speak of 
 asparagus. The Romans especially esteemed those of 
 Ravenna. Nature, says Pliny, wished that asparagus 
 should grow wild so that they might be gathered every 
 where by everyone; but being improved by cultiva- 
 tion, the blades astonish by their thickness. They are 
 sold at Ravenna at three to the pound." 
 
 In Covent Garden Market, in the season, it is very 
 common to find asparagus so fat that six weigh a 
 pound. 
 
 Why is Dr. Roques so silent as to the velocity with 
 which this vegetable may be cooked ? Quicker than 
 asparagus is boiled, became a proverb among the 
 Romans.* Juvenal mentions a large lobster sur- 
 rounded with asparagus, and promises, in the eleventh 
 satire to his friend Perseus, a plate of mountain 
 
 * " Velocius quam asparagi coquuntur." SUET.
 
 212 On Salad. 
 
 asparagus, which had been freshly gathered by his 
 
 farmer's wife. 
 
 " Montani 
 Asparagi, posito quos legit villica fuso." 
 
 I remember having read somewhere of a gentleman 
 travelling near the town of Arras (where Robes- 
 pierre was born), and meeting a countryman who in- 
 sisted on supping with him. Entering an inn, the 
 gentleman asked for an omelette and some asparagus. 
 After having helped the rustic to his half-share of the 
 omelette, the stupid lout asked what were the aspara- 
 gus. "Oh! " replied the host, "they are a very fine 
 vegetable, and you shall have half of the bunch, as you 
 have had half of the omelette." Thereupon the intelli- 
 gent gourmand transferred to his neighbour's plate the 
 ends, or as the late Mr. Justice Creswell quaintly, 
 yet forcibly used to say it, the handle of the esculent, 
 who thought these quisquilics tougher to chew than 
 the stalky part of the cabbage. 
 
 The Marquis de Cussy tells us that no less a per- 
 sonage than Napoleon ate the haricots de soissons, or 
 kidney-beans with oil, as a salad.
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE DESSERT. 
 
 HE Dessert, if by that word be understood 
 the agreeable mingling together of cakes, 
 of fruits, and sweetmeats, is an Italian 
 invention. It was cradled in the sweet 
 south, and is the offspring of beautiful gardens, and 
 flourishing cities and towns, clustering with grapes 
 and peaches. Careme used to say that the dessert had 
 been elevated into a science with a view to retain girls, 
 young women, and children at table, in friendly family 
 converse. In such sort it deliciously prolongs the re- 
 past. A dessert should above all things be simple ; 
 considered as a third or fourth course, it is often a 
 dangerous superfluity, and the fruitful cause of many 
 an indigestion. There are some who eat of it solely 
 and simply because it appears promotive of a light, 
 agreeable, and sparkling conversation. But these 
 worthy, good-natured people often deceive them- 
 selves. It is a rock, says Careme, at the end of a 
 dinner, a serious embarrassment for the liver, which
 
 214 The Dessert. 
 
 it too often harasses and obstructs. Lachappelle 
 (port-queue of Louis XIII., and his major domo) goes 
 further, and mentions that all persons who make a 
 point of eating dessert after a good dinner are fools, 
 who spoil at once their wit and their stomachs. 
 "Reject, therefore, once for all," says another French 
 author, " the Macedoines glacees de fruits rouge, the 
 white cheeses a la Bavaroise, the pctits pains a la 
 duchesse, the fanchonnettes de volaille, the vol-au-vent 
 a la violette. Experienced diners out never touch 
 these things, not even at the end of a second course. 
 When we speak of experienced and clever people, 
 who know what they are about, we would speak of 
 those gourmands so gifted, and so superior in all the 
 affairs and business of life, such as Lorenzo de Me- 
 dicis, Leo X., Raphael, Prince Talleyrand, George 
 IV., the Emperor Alexander, Castlereagh, and 
 Pitt himself." M. F. Fayot, who writes biographies 
 of Canning, and political articles in the French 
 newspapers, ought to have known that Pitt did not 
 care for such knick-knackeries as Pistachio nuts, and 
 creme a la vanille. 
 
 Though the dessert was originally invented in 
 Italy, yet the usage was early transplanted into 
 France. In the works of St. Gelais I find some 
 lines, in which he sends fresh cherries to a lady 
 on the first of May. How this fruit could be 
 thus early produced, without the aid of hot-houses, 
 is difficult to imagine. From Champier, however,
 
 The Dessert. 215 
 
 who wrote about 1560, we learn that the Poitevins 
 sent yearly forced cherries in post to Paris. The 
 fruit was prematurely ripened by putting lime at the 
 root of the tree, or watering the roots with warm 
 water. La Quintinie, the head gardener of Louis 
 XIV., boasts that he served strawberries for the des- 
 sert of his royal master at the end of March, green 
 peas in April, and figs in June. 
 
 It was in 1694 that preserved pine-apples, shipped 
 from the French West India islands of St. Domingo 
 and Gaudaloupe, were first seen at dessert in Paris. 
 The tree had been originally transplanted from Asia 
 to the West Indies, where the heat of the climate 
 preserved it from degenerating. " Although the 
 fruit of the pine be fibrous," says Father Dutertre, 
 " it melts into water in the mouth, and is so well 
 flavoured, that you find the taste of the peach, of the 
 apple, of the quince, and of the muscatel, blended 
 together." It is plain to perceive that Father Dutertre 
 was friand, and that he possessed, in matters of the 
 table at least, the science of analysis. The " pine," 
 says Dr. Roques, " is impregnated with a corrosive 
 juice, which may be extracted by steeping the root 
 for one or two hours in sugared brandy." Lovers of 
 pine cut it up in slices, cover it with sugar, and bathe 
 it copiously over with sherry wine. Jellies, ices, and 
 creams, are also made of this fruit ; and the Italians 
 prepare with it a liqueur which is called nianaja, and 
 which is really delicious.
 
 216 The Dessert 
 
 Dates, so well known and so esteemed in ancient 
 times, are oftener served at dessert in Spain, Italy, 
 and the south of France, than in England. Theo- 
 phrastus, Plutarch, and Pliny speak in rather extrava- 
 gant terms of the date-tree, and the excellence of its 
 fruit. Nicholas of Damascus, in Syria, one of the 
 most distinguished members of the Peripatetic school, 
 sent to the Emperor Augustus the famous dates 
 that grow in the valley of Jericho. Pliny says they 
 are so thick, that four ranged together would be the 
 length of a cubit. This fruit is gathered in the 
 autumn, and dried in the sun. The Tunisian dates 
 are the best; they are pulpy, mucilaginous, sac- 
 charine, and nutritious. The expressed juice of the 
 date yields a syrup, which serves as a substitute for 
 butter, and is used as a seasoning. Lemery says that 
 those who feed on dates are generally afflicted with 
 the scurvy and lose their teeth. They have been 
 generally considered a dry and stringent fruit. 
 Though an incentive to wine, they are indigestible, 
 and in Spain have generally a harsh, rough, and un- 
 pleasant taste. 
 
 There is not a more grateful or a less noxious fruit 
 at dessert than oranges. Louis XIV. was particu- 
 larly fond both of the tree and the fruit. When the 
 monarch gave those magnificent jfefes, so vaunted both 
 in prose and verse, the porticoes, halls, and ante- 
 chambers of his palaces were decorated with orange- 
 trees, and the fruit, then esteemed rare, always
 
 The Dessert. 217 
 
 appeared at dessert. The Maltese oranges were, at 
 that period, considered the finest ; while the fruit of 
 Portugal maintained a secondary rank only. But 
 even Portuguese oranges were deemed a present 
 worthy of being offered to the children of kings. 
 " Monsieur me vint " (says the Duchess of Montpen- 
 sier in her Memoirs) ; " il me donna des oranges de 
 Portugal." Moliere, in giving a description of the 
 comedy which formed a portion of the famous fetes 
 given at Versailles in 1688 by Louis XIV., remarks 
 that there was first laid a magnificent collation of 
 Portuguese oranges, and of all sorts of fruits, in thirty- 
 six baskets. About this period a species of sweet 
 citron was much in vogue. It is mentioned by Le- 
 mery in his treatise on foods, written about 1705, 
 who says "that the ladies of the court carried about 
 sweet citrons in their hands, which they bit from time 
 to time to produce red lips." 
 
 More than 270 years ago figs were common at des- 
 sert in France. There were then but four species of 
 this delicious fruit ; the red, the purple, the white, 
 and the black. The two latter were the most com- 
 mon, but the black were considered in Provence the 
 most wholesome, as well as the most agreeable. The 
 figs of Marseilles, had then, as indeed they have 
 now, great repute, and were renowned all over the 
 country. Nor were those of Montpelier, Nismes, 
 and St. Andeol, without their admirers, though in- 
 ferior to the figs of Marseilles. There have been few
 
 218 The Dessert. 
 
 fig-trees in the neighbourhood of Paris for some cen- 
 turies, though in the time of the Emperor Julian the 
 figs of Paris were already celebrated. 
 
 The famous gardener and horticulturist La Quin- 
 tinie, to please his master, Louis XIV., who was 
 particularly fond of figs, adopted the plan of placing 
 the trees in wooden boxes, as had been previously 
 adopted in reference to orange-trees. Some of the 
 finest figs in England are grown in the neighbour- 
 
 o o o o 
 
 hood of Worthing. Those who have spent a summer 
 there must have often eaten them for dessert. There 
 is a magnificent fig-tree at Hampton Court, as old 
 as the time of Charles II. rooted in a place which 
 shall be nameless, and the fruit of which is particu- 
 larly fine flavoured. In parts of Italy, Sicily, and 
 the Levant, they have a curious custom of acupunc- 
 turating the fig when half ripe, and introducing a drop 
 of fine oil into the fruit; this greatly mellows the 
 flavour, while it increases the size of the fig. The 
 white figs at Cherbourg are very fine, as those will 
 say who have eaten them at dessert at the excellent 
 table d'hote in that town. Occasionally, also, white 
 figs, equally excellent, are to be procured in the 
 Channel Islands. 
 
 Pomegranates are scarcely ever seen at dessert 
 in England, and rarely in France, except in Lan- 
 guedoc and Provence. In the sixteenth century 
 this fruit was much used in certain diseases, and, in 
 localities where it was not grown, was often sold for a
 
 The Dessert. 219 
 
 louis-d'or. When Clement VII. arrived at Mar- 
 seilles to have an interview with Francis I., several 
 Frenchmen, who had eaten to excess of pomegranates, 
 became seriously ill in consequence. Pomegranates 
 are a favourite dessert at Grenada in Spain, where 
 they grow in great quantities. 
 
 Chestnuts, though a very common dessert fruit in 
 France, are comparatively little used in England, 
 though there is no reason why they should not be 
 much cultivated, as they grow well in a cold, and 
 even in a mountainous country. In Perigord they 
 count eight different species of chestnuts, and there, 
 as well as in Brittany, the chestnut forms a staple 
 article of food for the peasantry. Madame de Se- 
 vigne, writing from her estate of the Rochers, near 
 Vitre, says : " Je ne connaissais la Provence que 
 par les grenadiers, les Grangers, et les jasmins ; voila 
 comme on nous la depeint. Pour nous, ce sont des 
 chataignes qui font notre ornement ; j'en avois 1'autre 
 jour trois ou quartres paniers autour de moi. J'en fis 
 bouiller, j'en fis rotir, j'en mis dans ma poche; on en 
 Bert dans les plats, on marche dessus, c'est la Bretagne 
 dans son triomphe." In the thirteenth century Lom- 
 bardy chestnuts were cried in the streets of Paris. 
 According to heathen records chestnuts were first 
 noticed at Sardes, in Lydia. Virgil speaks of the 
 " castanea molles." They are eaten at dessert boiled 
 or roasted, and are in both ways palatable. 
 
 Cherries are, in the season, an important portion
 
 220 The Dessert. 
 
 of a French as well as of an English dessert. There 
 are in France six species of black-heart cherries, six 
 of bigarreux, and five-and- twenty of cherries and 
 black cherries. The cherries most prized by the 
 Parisians, however, are those of Montmorency, so 
 named from that rich valley in which they grow, 
 extending from St. Denis to Pontoise. England, 
 our own dear country, greatly transcends France 
 in this article of dessert, brought originally from 
 the garden of Mithridates. Not only are cherries 
 produced in greater quantity, but are much finer 
 in flavour. Kent, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, are pre- 
 eminent in this produce ; and the May-duke (pro- 
 bably, originally from Medoc), Biggarroon (bigar- 
 reux]., and white-heart attest our superiority. 
 
 Apricots, which frequently appear at dessert in 
 France, and not unfrequently in England at the tables 
 of the wealthy, were not known in either of these 
 countries (though they are mentioned by Dioscorides, 
 who lived in the time of Nero, under the name of 
 prcecocia) till the sixteenth century. After that 
 period they became rather common ; but previously 
 were sold, says Champier, as though the price were 
 extravagant, at a farthing a-piece. When this fruit 
 was first introduced into France it appeared no bigger 
 than the smallest plum ; but the science and art of 
 French gardeners not only contributed to increase its 
 size but its flavour. In 1651 there were but three 
 species of apricots ; the late, the early, and the
 
 The Dessert. 221 
 
 musque, or musk-flavoured. Now there are at least 
 twenty, of which the apricot of Nanci is the largest 
 and best. But the apricots of Angoumois, of Hol- 
 land, of Portugal, and of Alexandria, are not to be 
 despised. Under favour, and with submission be it 
 said, however, that the best apricot that ever was in 
 Grange's, Owen's, Marks', Levy's, Solomon's, Israel's, 
 or Raine's shop, is but a dry and insipid article com- 
 pared with a fine peach, fine greengages, fine fresh - 
 gathered, green, hairy gooseberries, fine Mirabel 
 plums, fine pears, or fine mellow ribston pippins. 
 The apricot comes originally from Armenia. The 
 name originates in the situation which the tree pre- 
 fers a wall exposed to the heat of the meridian sun. 
 The word apricus is sometimes differently applied, as 
 aprici series, old men who delight in sitting and prat- 
 tling on benches exposed to the reviving warmth of 
 Sol's rays. 
 
 There are about twenty kinds of plums both in 
 England and France; but among these the green- 
 gage, called by the French the reine claude, is by 
 far the most luscious, succulent, and full-flavoured. 
 These plums, called after the daughter of Louis 
 XII., first wife of Francis I., have, in France, a 
 peculiarly rich mellow juciness, the effect probably 
 of a drier atmosphere, and the being exposed to a 
 warmer sun on mud-built lime-washed walls, with 
 a southern aspect. These greengages are always 
 eaten with a peculiar relish in Paris. There is a 
 sun-burnt look about them, as well as,
 
 222 The Dessert. 
 
 " A deep embrowned tint, which tells 
 How rich within the soul of sweetness dwells ;" 
 
 whereas the greengage of England looks pale and 
 peaky, as though it were afflicted with the green- 
 sickness. 
 
 The peach, or Persian apple, is one of the oldest 
 known fruits in France, and one of the commonest 
 served at dessert. The most esteemed in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Paris, is the peach of Corbeil. In the 
 provinces, those of Troyes and Dauphine enjoy the 
 greatest renown. The Auberi peach is common in 
 Languedoc, and has latterly been cultivated in the 
 neighbourhood of Paris. The Duracine peach is a 
 native of Brittany. It is of more than ordinary size, 
 and the flesh firm and juicy ; but almost all peaches 
 in France are mere turnips compared with the hot- 
 house fruit in England. Enter Grange's in Picca- 
 dilly, or the elder Owen's in Bond Street, Marks' 
 at the corner of Holies Street, and try one of the 
 shilling peaches in the season, and you will find a 
 rich, juicy, fleshy flavour and aroma oftener sought 
 than found in the fruit of France. It is true that 
 you may have six or eight peaches in France for the 
 price you would pay for one in England at any of these 
 three shops, but that one peach is better than a bushel 
 of such tasteless turnip fruit as is often presented to 
 you all over Gaul. The ten and twelve sous peaches 
 of Corbeil, which may be obtained at Madame Mal- 
 liez in the Marche St. Honore, are certainly a more
 
 The Dessert. 223 
 
 commendable fruit, but I should prefer for my own eat- 
 ing a first-rate hot-house peach to any three of them. 
 I know not whether an improved peach has recently 
 come from China. The peach is a fruit which has been 
 cultivated in the Celestial Empire from the earliest 
 times, and celebrated in their ancient books, in the 
 songs of their poets, and the disquisitions of their doc- 
 tors. The peach yu, it is said in their legends, produces 
 an eternity of life, and preserves the body from cor- 
 ruption to the end of the world. A fine peach is a 
 delicious fruit ; it is good with sugar, good without 
 sugar, and excellent, super-excellent with a glass of 
 good Madeira, sherry, or brandy thrown over it. 
 The peach-tree does not always require the protec- 
 tion of the sheltering wall in warmer climates. The 
 trees stand insulated in the vineyard or orchard, 
 swinging gently in the breeze, which the French 
 call peches de vigne, and abricots en plein vent. 
 
 There is no better dessert fruit than a good apple, 
 and in this fruit England beats all the world, with the 
 exception of America. The New-town pippin is un- 
 questionably the first of apples, but first-rate ribstons 
 come next to it. The nonpareil and golden pippin 
 (the golden apple of the Hesperides) are not without 
 merit. The great defect of French apples, however, 
 is their general mealiness and want of juiciness. The 
 paradis of Provence is the best of its kind. There is 
 also an apple of very tolerable flavour, called the ca- 
 pendu, which ladies lock up in their drawers and
 
 224 The Dessert. 
 
 wardrobes to perfume their clothes. There are about 
 forty-six kinds of apples mentioned in the " Theatre 
 d' Agriculture," but the grey and white reinette are 
 the only apples desirable at a French dessert. 
 
 The different species of pears (from the Epirean 
 orchards of Pyrrhus) are more numerous even than 
 the species of apples. De Serres speaks of ninety- 
 five kinds of pears; 400 are mentioned in the " Jar- 
 dinier Franchise," and more than 300 in " La Quin- 
 tinie." Itis not generally known that the famous cliau- 
 montel (called by corruption in England charmontel), 
 was a wild pear transplanted into the garden and ren- 
 dered perfect by culture. The Burgundy pear, called 
 Madame Oudotte (and by corruption Amadotte), was 
 also a wild pear found in a wood belonging to a lady 
 of the name of Oudotte. Four of the best dessert 
 pears in France are the beurre, the cuisse de madame 
 (my lady's thigh), the pear of Lyons, the bergamotte 
 of Lorraine, and the bon chretien of Tourraine. 
 The bon chretien is by no means a common pear in 
 England ; though towards the latter end of August, 
 or the beginning of September, it is always to be had 
 at Covent Garden Market. The finest Spanish bon 
 chretiens I have ever eaten in England were grown 
 in the garden of Mr. Powell, near to Minster and 
 Herne, in Kent. This is extraordinary, as the Kentish 
 soil is unfavourable both to pears and apples, while 
 the opposite coast of Essex produces exquisite fruit, 
 and above all, those bulbous thin-skinned goose-
 
 The Dessert. 225 
 
 berries, equal to the best chasselas of Fontainbleau. 
 Compotes of pears are excellent and cooling at des- 
 sert, and render the fruit more digestible, according 
 to the line, 
 
 " Cruda gravant stomachum relevant pyra cocta gravatam." 
 
 Talking of the chasselas grape of Fontainbleau, the 
 reader will naturally ask why I have hitherto omitted 
 all mention of the finest fruit, oranges excepted. 
 This was from no indisposition to do every justice 
 tov grapes, the wholesomest and most grateful of 
 fruits. The best grapes in France are undoubtedly 
 the chasselas, which come into the Paris markets 
 neatly packed in small baskets, sold for forty, fifty, 
 and sixty sous each, according to the quality. In the 
 autumn of the year many of the Parisian ladauds 
 undergo a regimen of grapes, eating nothing else for 
 three weeks or a month. Used thus, grapes have all 
 the effect of the Cheltenham waters. " They open 
 the body," says old Lemery, physician to Louis 
 XIV., " create an appetite, are very nourishing, and 
 qualify the sharp humour of the heart. They agree 
 with every age and constitution, provided they be not 
 used to excess." The ciotat, the Corinthe, the black 
 morillon, the muscat of Touraine, are all excellent 
 grapes, and may be purchased in France for a few sous 
 a pound. In the southern departments of France as 
 many grapes as the most inveterate eater of that fruit 
 would desire may be had for the small sum of one 
 Q
 
 226 The Dessert. 
 
 penny, though it must be admitted that the hot-house 
 grapes of England are superior in flavour and variety 
 to every description of grape in France, excepting 
 the chasselas ; but the prices asked in Covent Garden 
 Market are enormous and wholly unjustifiable. Hot- 
 house grapes are, in fact, a luxury wholly beyond the 
 reach of persons of moderate fortune. 
 
 Notwithstanding the decided taste which Louis 
 XV. had for strawberries, and the efforts made by 
 his minions to furnish him with this fruit at his des- 
 sert all the year round ; we have, nevertheless, for the 
 last century and a half, surpassed the French in the 
 variety and quality of this esculent. The Chilian 
 strawberry is one of the largest produced in the im- 
 perial gardens of Versailles and Fontainbleau ; but 
 strawberries of nearly twice the size may be daily 
 seen during the months of May, June, and July, in 
 Covent Garden Market. The pine strawberry, origi- 
 nally of Louisiana, was first introduced into France 
 in 1767. Though it may have more pine flavour 
 than our pine strawberry, yet it is by no means so 
 large as the common run of pines in Covent Garden. 
 It too frequently happens, however, that what fruits 
 gain in size they lose in flavour. Every good judge 
 of fruit is quite opposed to the idea of monster fruit, 
 fish, flesh, or fowl; convinced that average-sized 
 turbots, bullocks, turkeys, and fruits, are among the 
 very best. 
 
 The dried fruits are, of course, never produced
 
 TJie Dessert. 227 
 
 at dessert, when fresh fruits can be obtained. A 
 very common French dessert in the winter months 
 is composed of almonds, raisins, and figs; but, 
 though these afford a passable pastime enough when 
 nothing better can be had, yet the opinion of the 
 Gauls concerning their value may be learned from 
 the name given to them. If you wish to obtain the 
 trio at a restaurant after a copious or a spare dinner, 
 you must not call for des amandes, des raisins, et des 
 Jigues, but ask for trois mendiants. Provence fur- 
 nishes dried figs to Paris ; the ancient province of 
 Maine, dried cherries ; and Rheims, Tours, and Bri- 
 gnoles, dried plums. Dried apples, a very palatable 
 dessert, come from Tours and Orleans. 
 
 In England our winter dessert is thus furnished : 
 the raisins come from Malaga, the figs and currants 
 from Turkey and the Grecian islands, the almonds 
 from Syria and the Archipelago, and the olives from 
 Spain and Italy. France produces this latter fruit 
 on her own soil. The Phocians, founders of Mar- 
 seilles, first planted the olive in that locality; and, 
 according to Strabo, taught the natives the art to 
 cultivate it. Olives are now grown in every part of 
 Provence and Languedoc, and may be always found 
 at dessert at the most moderate tables d'hote of Mar- 
 seilles, Toulon, Nismes, Montpelier, Avignon, &c. 
 Biscuits, cakes, and sweetmeats, are also an accom- 
 paniment. The poets of the thirteenth century 
 speak of flamiches and galcttes chauds, and at this
 
 228 The Dessert. 
 
 period the Rheims gingerbread was also in great 
 vogue. When Charapier wrote, about 1560, the 
 gingerbread of Paris was nearly as renowned at 
 dessert as the famous croquets of Rheims. A cake 
 made of powdered sugar and almonds, called masse- 
 pain, has also been common at dessert in France 
 for more than three centuries. Its component parts 
 are filberts, almonds, pistachio nuts, pines, sugar, 
 and a little flour. It is, however, rather a dear 
 morsel, and can only be eaten by the wealthy. 
 L'Etoile, describing a magnificent collation of three 
 courses given at Paris in 1596, says, " Que les confi- 
 tures seiches et massepans y estoit si peu espargnez 
 que les dames et damoiselles, estoient contraintes de 
 s'en decharger sur les pages et les laquais, auxquels 
 on les bailloit tous entiers." 
 
 In the time of Rabelais a tartlette or cake called 
 darioles, was eaten at dessert; there were also other 
 friandises called ratons, and cassemuseaux, and petit 
 dhoux. The first and last words have since been 
 adopted as terms of endearment among lovers, and 
 from nurses and nursery-maids to children. 
 
 Aromatic spices and warm seeds were much more 
 frequently used at dessert a century and a half ago 
 than in our own day. After dinner, says the work 
 called " Les Triomphes de la Noble Dame," " On, sert 
 chez les riches, pour faire la digestion, de 1'anis du 
 fenouil et de la coriandre confits au sucre." The 
 author of " He des Hermaphrodites," in painting the
 
 The Dessert. 229 
 
 manners of the court of Henry III., makes the same 
 remark. After the dessert, says he, " Les uns pre- 
 noient un peu d'anis confit, les autres, cotignac,* mais 
 il falloit qu'il fut musque. Autrement il n'eut point 
 eu d'effet en leur estomach qui n'avoit point de cha- 
 leur s'il n'etoit parfurne." 
 
 At the royal table, and in establishments of great 
 lords, another custom prevailed which did not obtain 
 in the houses of private persons. Independently of 
 the spices which composed the dessert, there were 
 others more select still, which were served in a small 
 box divided into compartments. This box was of 
 gold, silver, or silver gilt, and was called a drageoir, 
 comfits being the principal portion of its contents. 
 This box was generally presented to the king by an 
 esquire or person of condition, and to the king only, 
 unless his majesty wished particularly to honour some 
 one among the guests. He then sent to him his 
 comfit-box, " On apporta vins et epices," writes 
 Froissart, " et servit du drageoir, devant le Roi de 
 France tant seulement, le Comte d'Harcourt" 
 
 Brandied fruits, compotes and fruits preserved in 
 syrup, are generally produced at a French dessert ; 
 as are marmalade fruits, as, for instance, marmelade 
 (Tabricots, de peches, de pommes, &c. Fruit jellies, as 
 cornel berry jelly, apple jelly, are also esteemed deli- 
 cacies. Various pastes are also occasionally handed 
 
 * Cotignac was a confection of quinces.
 
 230 The Dessert. 
 
 round at dessert, as apricot paste, peach paste, and 
 ginger paste. Le Loyer, in his poetical pieces, 
 speaks of these pastes as proper to be given to cold 
 and indifferent husbands: 
 
 " Que, sur la fin du dessert, on leur porte 
 L'hypocras rouge on bien un puissant vin, 
 La truffe noir avec le fruit du pain." 
 
 There is no more pleasant dessert in the month of 
 September than young filberts and walnuts, in which 
 former fruit England certainly surpasses the world. 
 In walnuts we are equalled, if not surpassed, by 
 Switzerland and France. 
 
 The truth is, however, that the dessert after a 
 good London or Parisian dinner is a superfluity, 
 and in ninety -nine cases out of a hundred does more 
 harm than good. This was the opinion of Brillat 
 Savarin in his "Physiologic du Gout." A little bit 
 of cheese, says this great epicure, may be permitted, 
 and some preserve or a sweetmeat. " Un beau 
 diner," he adds, " sans vieux fromage, est un joli 
 femme a qui il manque un ceil." 
 
 The word dessert was introduced into the French 
 language at the end of the sixteenth century. In 
 an ordonnance of the 21st January, 1563, the word 
 occurs. " En quelques noces festins ou tables parti- 
 culieres que ce puisse etre, il n'y aurait dorenavant 
 que trois services au plus savoir, les entrees de table, 
 la viande ou le poisson, et le dessert." The following 
 is the regulation of the ordonnance concerning the
 
 The Dessert. 231 
 
 dessert : Au dessert, soit fruit, patisserie, fromage, ou 
 autre chose quelconque, il ne pourroit non plus, etre 
 servi que six plats, le tout sous peine de 200 livres 
 d'amende pour la premiere fois, et 400 cent pour la 
 seconde. Speaking of desserts, a French authoress 
 says, " Le choix et 1'arrangement des fruits ou des 
 fleurs dont est paree la table, 1'elegance des edifices 
 sucres, la symmetric des assiettes, ne sont pas des 
 soins tout a fait etranges aux arts. L'appetit satis- 
 fait, les yeux et 1'odorat sont flattes a la fois 
 par la beaute du fruit elegamment eleve en pyra- 
 mides; par les formes varies des sucreries, dont la 
 saveur parfumee reveille encore la satiete, enfin par la 
 fumee des vins petillants ou liquoreux dont les esprits 
 volatils excitent la verve et animent la gaite. Careme 
 says the dessert ought to be the special labour of the lady 
 of thehouse. Medical menin thetwelfth and thirteenth 
 centuries, more especially in France, ordered some 
 fruits at the commencement of dinner. Champier 
 recommended that cherries, raspberries, peaches, and 
 apricots should be so eaten ; and that after dinner 
 medlars, pistachio nuts, filberts, chestnuts, apples, 
 quinces, and pears should be produced. Melon, in 
 the time of Henry IV., and to this day, is eaten in 
 France with the boulli, just after the soup. Sully 
 tells that one day when Henry IV. was at dinner, his 
 Maitre d'Hotel entered with a golden basin filled with 
 melons. " Right glad am I," said the jovial king, 
 " for I wish to-day to have a surfeit. They never
 
 232 
 
 The Dessert. 
 
 injure me when I eat them on an empty stomach 
 and before meat, as the doctors direct." In Madame 
 Sevigne's time the same opinion existed touching 
 melons. " Je ne vous deffends point les melons (she 
 wrote to her daughter), puisque vous avez si bon 
 vin pour les cuire." The author of "La Nouvelle 
 Instruction pour la Culture du Figuies," written in 
 1692, writes that figs should be eaten on an empty 
 stomach and before dinner, for it is an axiom, he 
 says, in medicine, to commence at supper or dinner 
 by the things most easily digested.
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 ON ICES. 
 
 T regular set dinners ices are always 
 served. For a party of ten or fourteen 
 there is generally a cream and water ice, 
 with biscuits, &c. The French generally 
 serve a greater number of ices than we do. The ices 
 most in vogue in London are pine, lemon, orange, 
 ginger, strawberry, and cherry ices. In Paris, apri- 
 cot, peach, chocolate, coffee, and four fruit ices are 
 more common than with us. 
 
 Some there are who date the use of ice at table 
 from the time of Alexander the Great ; who, it is said, 
 had caves in India for the preservation of ice ; but it 
 is certain that in Alexander's time the Greeks cooled 
 their wine with ice, and that the Romans were also 
 acquainted with this luxury. A French traveller in 
 Turkey, writing in 1553, tells us that the Turks had 
 their glacieres, in which they preserved ice for table 
 use. Henry III. was said to be the first who intro- 
 duced ice at his table in France, and it became com-
 
 234 On Ices. 
 
 mon enough in the following century. The word 
 glaciere is not found in the dictionary of Monet, pub- 
 lished in 1636. But in 1667 Boileau wrote : 
 
 " Pour semble de dis grace 
 
 Par le chaud qu'il faisait nous n'avions point de glace, 
 Point de glace, bon Dieu ! dans le cceur de 1'ete, 
 Au mois de Juin. 
 
 Wenham Lake ice is now handed round during 
 dinner to mix with wine or water between April and 
 August.
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 COFFEE. 
 
 FTER the dessert comes Coffee, and it is 
 now fitting that I should make a few 
 remarks on the best means of making 
 that agreeable and stimulating beverage. 
 The coffee tree is a native of Arabia. The use of 
 the berry extended itself to Mecca, Medina, and then 
 to Cairo in Egypt. It continued its progress north- 
 ward; and in 1554, under the reign of Solyman 
 the Great, became known to the inhabitants of 
 Constantinople. The Venetians introduced coffee 
 to the western parts of Europe. In 1644 it was 
 brought to Marseilles, and in 1657 to Paris. Ac- 
 cording to Le Grand D'Aussy, the custom of drink- 
 ing coffee became general in Paris in 1669, through 
 the example of Soliman Aga, ambassador of Mahomet 
 IV. The coffee is an evergreen shrub, rising to 
 twenty feet in height. The fruit is a round, fleshy 
 berry, and great care is taken to conduct little rills 
 of water in small channels to the roots of the trees.
 
 236 Coffee. 
 
 The berry grown in Arabia is smaller than that of 
 the East and West Indies, but its flavour is much 
 finer, because in Arabia the soil is rocky, dry, and 
 hot. The trees are watered by artificial means, and 
 therefore the proper quantity of moisture only is im- 
 bibed by them. Almost all studious, hard-working 
 men love coffee ; and this is not wonderful, as it is, 
 when properly made, a delightful, innoxious, and ex- 
 hilarating beverage. " It is a slow poison," said some 
 one to Voltaire, who saw him drinking strong coffee. 
 *' It must be a very slow poison indeed," rejoined the wit, 
 " as I have been taking it now for more than seventy 
 years." How often must a man who laboured as 
 Voltaire did have required a beverage which excited 
 the nerves and exhilarated the spirits, without pro- 
 ducing the baneful effects of those stimulating liquids 
 and narcotic substances which act on the brain ? In 
 cases of extreme heat or cold, coffee is the most salu- 
 tary beverage, as it not only warms and exhilarates 
 the system, but dissipates the languor produced either 
 by fatigue or the influence of the climate or weather. 
 How many writers are there who have vaunted the 
 good effects of coffee ? Delille and Lebrun have praised 
 its virtues in well-tuned verses. The poem entitled 
 "Les Disputes," by Rulhiere, originated in coffee. 
 Fontenelle, who lived more than 100 years, is lavish 
 in its praise. Montesquieu has consecrated to the 
 brown ambrosial berry some eloquent and sounding 
 periods ; and Rousseau, and Buffon, the most eloquent
 
 Coffee. 237 
 
 of prose writers, have not forgotten to record the 
 brilliant inspirations which they owed to its influence. 
 Nor are these the only triumphs of the brain-clearing 
 beverage. Heroes, and statesmen, and philosophers, 
 have bowed down before the filagree cups; and 
 Frederick of Prussia and Napoleon, Talleyrand and 
 Cambaceres, and Metternich, Portalis, Corvisart, 
 and Cuvier, have all acknowledged and felt the in- 
 spiration and good effects of coffee. 
 
 One of the virtues, the dissipating the fumes of 
 wine, has also been alluded to by Delille : 
 
 " Le Cafe vous presente une heureuse liqueur, 
 Qui d'un via trop fumeux dissipe la vapeur." 
 
 In another passage, the same poet thus apostro- 
 phises the cheering yet not inebriating liquor: 
 
 " II est une liqueur au poete bien chere, 
 Qui manquait a Virgile, et qu'adorait Voltaire : 
 C'est toi, divin cafe, dont 1'aimable liqueur, 
 Sans alterer la tete, epanouit le cceur." 
 
 It is a remarkable fact that, during the retreat of 
 the French from Russia, such soldiers as refrained 
 from brandy, and took only coffee, escaped being 
 frost-bitten, or any of the diseases arising from ex- 
 posure to cold. There is no part of the world in 
 which better coffee is sold than in London, more 
 especially the Mocha coffee of Twining (which may 
 be purchased, unground and unroasted, at Is. 8d. 
 the pound, and roasted, or ground and roasted, at
 
 238 Coffee. 
 
 2s. 4d. the pound) ; yet there is no spot in this world, 
 we verily believe, where coffee is generally so badly 
 made, as in this great wilderness of a metropolis. 
 This arises from several causes : first, the purchasing 
 coffee ground and roasted. The consumption and 
 sale of the article is so small in England, compared 
 to France, that in many of the shops the ground 
 coffee is a week, and in many a fortnight or a month 
 old ; and, being too frequently exposed to the influ- 
 ences of the weather and climate, the aroma has 
 entirely evaporated. There is scarcely a shop in 
 London where coffee is daily roasted ; and, even if 
 there were such a shop, the quantity purchased for 
 private consumption is generally so large, and the use 
 of it so unfrequent in families, that the flavour in so 
 humid a climate is gone long before the coffee is 
 consumed. The Turks, who are our masters in the 
 art of making coffee, do not employ a mill to triturate 
 the berry, but pound it in mortars, with pestles or 
 mallets of wood. When these machines have been 
 long used for the purpose, they are esteemed precious, 
 and sell at a large price. Brillat Savarin relates the 
 result of an experiment which he caused to be made 
 as to the comparative merits of the liquid made from 
 the pounded and the ground berry : 
 
 " I roasted with care," says he, " a pound of good 
 Mocha coffee, and separated it into two equal por- 
 tions, one of which was ground, and the other pounded 
 in the manner of the Turks. I made coffee with
 
 Coffee. 239 
 
 both one and other of these powders, taking an 
 equal weight of each, pouring on each an equal por- 
 tion of boiling water, and in all respects dealing 
 equally between them. I tasted these coffees, and 
 caused them to be tasted by the best judges, and the 
 unanimous opinion was, that the liquid produced from 
 the powdered was evidently superior to the produce 
 of the ground coffee." 
 
 The second reason why the coffee is inferior in 
 England is, that the berry is burned instead of being 
 roasted, and is consequently bitter and burnt, instead 
 of being fine-flavoured and aromatic. 
 
 The third reason is, that at hotels, coffee-houses, 
 clubs, and even in private houses, enough of the 
 coffee (even though it were good) is not infused ; and 
 the fourth reason may be found in the addition of an 
 excess of water. Now, in the first place, the roasting 
 of coffee should be carefully watched and superin- 
 tended by an intelligent person. The moment the 
 berry crackles and becomes crisp enough to pulverise, 
 it is sufficiently roasted. Once taken off the roaster, 
 it should be placed in several thick folds of flannel 
 to undergo the process of cooling. This preserves 
 the essential oil in the coffee, and prevents the aroma 
 from escaping. When the coffee is cool, place it in 
 an air-tight canister. Sufficient for the day should 
 be the coffee thereof. In other words, never roast, 
 if you can avoid it, more than for a single day's con- 
 sumptioncertainly not more than for two or three
 
 240 Coffee. 
 
 days. Grind or pound your coffee not more than 
 a quarter of an hour before you want to make the 
 infusion. 
 
 There are various methods of preparing the infu- 
 sion. Any one of them would have the effect of pro- 
 ducing very tolerable coffee, if the directions I have 
 given touching the roasting and grinding of the berry 
 were attended to, and a sufficient quantity of the 
 powdered coffee used. But unfortunately English 
 servants, who drink tea or beer, are ignorant of or 
 insensible to the true flavour of coffee, and as they 
 do not partake themselves of the beverage, become 
 indifferent to its preparation. The coffee produced 
 by them is, indeed, drowned in a deluge of water, 
 and deserves the title given it in an old tract called 
 the "Petition against Coffee," namely, "a base, black, 
 thick, nasty, bitter, stinking, puddle water." 
 
 The best coffee in the world, taken altogether, is 
 certainly made in Paris, though I have occasionally 
 tasted at private houses in England, where the mas- 
 ter was a gourmet, and the servants disciplined, finer 
 coffee than was ever brewed either at the Cafe Foy 
 or the Cafe Corrazza. And the only wonder is, that 
 it should not be always so ; for, as was before ob- 
 served, the very finest qualities of coffee come to the 
 London market. 
 
 For the last forty years, a great deal of fanciful- 
 ness has prevailed in Paris as to the best manner of 
 making coffee. Much of this arose, no doubt, from
 
 Coffee. 241 
 
 the inordinate love which Napoleon exhibited for 
 coffee; as everyone was desirous to improve upon the 
 favourite beverage of the little Corsican and great 
 conqueror. Projects of all kinds were started: to 
 make coffee without roasting it, without grinding it, 
 to infuse it cold, to make it boil three quarters of an 
 hour, &c. Another mode was to run the cold water 
 several times through the powder ; another, to infuse 
 the coffee over night. But, notwithstanding these 
 vagaries, coffee is generally well made in France. 
 It is true, that it is most commonly adulterated by 
 the admixture of chicoree, but there is nothing nox- 
 ious in the endive ; it merely adds a bitterness to the 
 coffee, and is adopted in nine instances out of ten 
 from motives of economy. 
 
 The most usual method of making coffee in France 
 is a Dubelloy, which consists in pouring boiling water 
 on coffee placed in a porcelain or silver vase, cullen- 
 dered or pierced with very small holes. This first 
 decoction is poured off, heated to boiling heat, passed 
 again through the coffee-pot, when a clear and exqui- 
 site coffee is produced. More than a full-sized table- 
 spoonful of coffee should be allowed for each guest 
 in making a small cup of coffee after dinner. 
 
 The most complete apparatus for coffee making 
 ever invented in England, is said to have been the 
 production of Mr. Jones, of Bond Street, ironmonger; 
 but, as I have never tried it, I will not speak of its merits. 
 The ordinary English tin coffee-biggin succeeds 
 
 it
 
 242 Coffee. 
 
 tolerably well if the coffee be properly roasted and 
 ground ; but the disadvantage is, that the filtering 
 occupies so long a time, that the coffee is half cold 
 when ready to be poured into the cups. 
 
 The cylinder for roasting coffee, which one cannot 
 pass through the streets of Paris without seeing con- 
 stantly at work, has been in use since 1687. The 
 love of novelty is so great in that capital, that when 
 coffee was first introduced, two methods were adopted 
 of preparing it : one, the ordinary method now in 
 use; the other, a method said to prevail in the seraglio 
 at Constantinople, for the mistresses of the Grand 
 Signor. This consists in boiling for a certain time 
 in hot water, not the grain itself, but the shell or 
 pod which envelopes it. This method affords a 
 liquor of an agreeable colour to the eye, but it yields 
 a pale and flavourless coffee, though decorated with 
 the name of cafe a la sultane. Blegny invented, in 
 1687, a distilled coffee water, an oil, and a syrup of 
 coffee. Under the Regent Orleans, coffee sweet- 
 meats were invented, to appear at dessert; and a few 
 years afterwards the distillateurs of Montpelier made 
 a liqueur, produced after dessert, which they called 
 eau de cafe, whose odour resembled roasted coffee. 
 There were also tablettes de cafe, which were eaten 
 before the liqueurs. There were and are medical 
 men who, from the time of its introduction to our 
 day, have not ceased to sound the alarm as to the 
 unwholesomeness of coffee ; but I think with old
 
 Coffee. 243 
 
 Lemery, that " coffee fortifies the stomach and brain, 
 promotes digestion, allays the headache, suppresses 
 the fumes caused by wine, makes the memory and 
 fancy more quick, and people brisk that drink it." 
 This last effect, says he, has been observed by the 
 shepherds of Africa, who took notice, that before 
 coffee was used, and that their sheep fed upon this 
 kind of pulse, that they skipped about strangely* 
 
 I shall close my observations on coffee by giving a 
 receipt of Dr. Roques for a cafe a la creme frappe 
 de glace. It is a delicious breakfast during the sum- 
 mer heats. Here it is: "Make a strong infusion 
 of Mocha or Bourbon coffee ; put it in a porcelain 
 bowl, sugar it properly, and add to it an equal por- 
 tion of boiled milk, or one-third the quantity of a 
 rich cream. Surround the bowl with pounded ice." 
 Doctor Bonnafous, of Perpignan, recommended this 
 beverage to such persons as had lost their appetite, 
 or who experienced general debility. This agreeable 
 epicurean one day said to a patient, Dr. Roques, who 
 was himself in the profession, " Study, my friend, 
 that which is good, that which pleases your palate. 
 Try to become a little friand; commence a series of 
 gastronomic experiments without infringing a regi- 
 men. You will be the better for it, and in certain 
 circumstances you will exercise on sickly people in- 
 clined to gourmandisc an unlimited power. Break- 
 
 * " Traite dcs Alimons," par Lcinery.
 
 244 Coffee. 
 
 fast during July, August, and a part of September, 
 on iced coffee, and in winter on woodcock soup. 
 This is a regimen with which I restored to health 
 and sense an aged canon who had nearly lost all ap- 
 petite, and who was disgusted with life." 
 
 Brillat Savarin recommends that coffee should be 
 taken in the dinner-room, as thus served it is hotter. 
 This may be so in establishments where there are 
 an insufficient number of servants ; but in good houses 
 in England, where there is a regular establishment 
 of servants, coffee is served quite as hot in the draw- 
 ing-room, library, or salon, as in the dining-room or 
 salle a manger. Coffee should be hot, clear, and 
 strong ; and, like every other good thing, be taken in 
 moderation. Morin, in his " Manuel d'Hygiene," 
 says, " Quelle que soit son action sur 1'estomac, il en 
 est du cafe comme de toute autre chose, il faut en 
 user et ne pas en abuser." Tea is much more gener- 
 ally taken after dinner in England than coffee, and 
 it is a beverage deemed more wholesome and more 
 agreeable by the great majority of Englishmen. 
 Cowper's lines in the " Task," on the winter evening 
 cup of tea, will recur to the reader. 
 
 " Now stir the fire, and close the shutters fast, 
 Let fall the curtains, wheel the sofa round, 
 And, while the bubbling and loud hissing urn 
 Throws up a steamy column, and the cups 
 That cheer but not inebriate, wait on each ; 
 So let us welcome peaceful evening in."
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 OX DIFFERENT LIQUEURS, RATAFIAS, AND ELIXIRS 
 TAKEN AFTER COFFEE. 
 
 HE name of liqueurs is given to pre- 
 parations composed of spirits of wine, 
 brandy, sugar, and the extracts of cer- 
 tain substances more or less aromatic. 
 The desired result is obtained either by distillation 
 or by infusion. Infused liqueurs are called ratafias. 
 Elixirs are certain wholesome or therapeutic liquors, 
 taken only by spoonfuls. Ratafias are as old as the 
 time of Louis XII., contemporary with Henry VII.; 
 and elixirs were known antecedent to the time of 
 Charles VII., contemporary with our Henry VI. 
 The most renowned foreign liqueurs are the alkermes 
 of Florence, the rossolis or rosoglio of Bologna, the 
 barbados and the tarlufolgio of Turin ; the citronelle of 
 Venice, the cinamonium of Trieste, the maraschino of 
 Zara, the krambambouli of Dalmatia, the absinthe of 
 Switzerland, the kirschen wasser of the Black Forest, 
 the persicot of Treves, the kumin of Dantzic, the double 
 anisette and the white curaqoa of Amsterdam, the tafia
 
 246 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 
 
 of the Isle of France, the blanc rack of Batavia, the 
 old rum of Jamaica, the noyau of Martinique, the 
 white vanilla of St. Domingo, the eau des Creoles of 
 Martinique, and the mirobolan of Madame Anfoux. 
 The fine or distilled liqueurs fabricated in France 
 are, les cremes de the, de menthe, de candle, tforange, 
 and the eau angelique. Most of these are made at 
 Montpelier, but all of them can be obtained at Tan- 
 rades', in Paris, who is himself the proprietor and 
 distiller of the creme d'ananas, and the petit lait 
 $ Henry IV. Ratafias are, for the most part, made 
 in the provinces. Thus Yerdun is famous for its 
 persicot, Phalsburg for its noyau, Lyons for its ab- 
 sinthe, Grenoble for its wild cherry ratafia, Hieres 
 for its five fruited ratafia, and Orleans for its quince 
 ratafia. Few of these, however, are known in Eng- 
 land, where the principal liqueurs used are noyau, 
 curaqoa, cherry-brandy, and cognac. Of these I 
 should say the three last were the wholesomest and 
 most stomachic. Nothing can exceed, indeed can 
 equal, cognac for a liqueur, if it be old and genuine. 
 A liqueriste, or a distillateur, is a distinct trade in 
 France from a limonadier. These distillateurs com- 
 posed their beverages for the most part from brandy 
 or spirits of wine, aromatised by the infusion of spices, 
 flowers, honey, fruits, &c. Cubebs, cinnamon, cloves, 
 grains of paradise, liquorice, sweetened and flavoured 
 with rose-water, pomegranate juice, and sugar, were 
 the component parts of the earliest liqueurs which
 
 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 247 
 
 appeared in Europe, with the exception of the eau 
 (Tor, or aqua aurea, which Arnaud de Villeneuve de- 
 scribes as brandy, in which was infused or macerated 
 rosemary flowers, with spices and colours to flavour 
 it When golden elixirs became rife, somewhat later, 
 the public desired that the eau (for should really con- 
 tain gold; and hence the custom of putting some 
 gold-beater's leaf, cut up into small pieces, into the 
 infusion. The eau de me de Dantzic, of which a con- 
 siderable portion is consumed in Paris, is prepared in 
 this fashion. 
 
 Liqueurs, though known a considerable time pre- 
 viously, were first greatly sought for in France at the 
 period when Catherine de Medicis, in 1533, came to 
 wed the dauphin son of Francis I. The Italians 
 whom she brought in her suite, and the creatures of 
 that nation who flocked in crowds to France when 
 she became queen, greatly introduced the use of 
 liqueurs, which had been heretofore common in Italy. 
 The nascent taste for them grew gradually into a 
 passion; and in 1604, Sully, in examining the ob- 
 jects of luxury which cost the French most, particu- 
 larises festins and liqueurs. The populo and the ros- 
 solis were, about two centuries ago, the most popular 
 of liqueurs. The former was made with spirits of 
 wine, water, sugar, musk, amber, essence of ani- 
 seed, essence of cinnamon, &c. The rossolis took its 
 name from the plant ros solis, which was one of its 
 ingredients. Among foreign rossolis, that of Turin
 
 248 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 
 
 was the most celebrated. The liquor, writes Patin, 
 in 1653, in one of those letters, half French, half 
 Latin, which he was in the habit of inditing, the 
 liquor called rossolis " nihil habet solare, sed igneum 
 quid potentissimum, lumborum renum, que dolori- 
 bus adversissimum." At this period, all liqueurs were 
 considered unpardonable luxuries, if not sinful. Ma- 
 dame Theanges, who had been a gay demirep in her 
 day, at length became devout. Madame de Sevigne, 
 writing in 1674, says : "Elle (meaning Madame de 
 Theanges) est souvent avec Madame de Longueville 
 et tout a fait dans le bel air de la devotion ; mais 
 elle est toujours de tres bonne compagnie et n'est pas 
 solitaire. J'etois 1'autre jour aupres d'elle a diner. 
 Un laquais lui presenta un grand verre de vin de 
 liqueur ; elle me dit, Madame, ce ga^on ne sait pas 
 que je suis devote." And Madame de Sevigne 
 archly adds, " Cela nous fit rire." 
 
 Well, indeed, might the company laugh, though 
 the proper rebuke would have been to answer, in the 
 words of Shakespeare, " Think'st thou, because thou 
 art virtuous, we shall have no more cakes and ale? 
 Ay, by St. Anne! and ginger shall be hot in the 
 mouth, too." 
 
 The first manufactory of liqueurs in France which 
 had a remarkable success, was a fabric established at 
 Montpelier. 
 
 In 1704, when Louis XIV. suppressed the com- 
 munity of limonadiers, establishing in their stead 150
 
 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 249 
 
 privileged persons, an ordonnance pointed out what 
 liqueurs it was lawful to sell. These were lafenouil- 
 lette, le Vatte, Torange, Cette, Genievre, and mille- 
 Jleurs. The first fabric of liqueurs which had any 
 extensive renown was that of Montpelier. It may 
 be well imagined that a city which had so long been 
 celebrated as a school of medicine had eminent 
 chymists and distillateurs ; but, when these acquired a 
 renown as liquorists, they reposed on their success, be- 
 came careless, and in the end were justly supplanted 
 by others. Lorraine succeeded to the renown of the 
 Mons Puellarum, or Montpelier. This was chiefly 
 owing to the decoction of one Solmini, probably an 
 Italian, who, about a century ago, pretended to have 
 invented a liqueur which he called parfait amour. 
 This, however, was no new invention at all ; it was 
 but ratafias of fruits and nuts, the eau de cedrat of the 
 Sieur la Faveur of Montpelier, which this worthy 
 had disguised by giving it a red tinge by means of 
 cochineal. The brothers Bosserrant succeeded Sol- 
 mini, producing a cheap and inferior article, which 
 had for a season a vogue. But the imposition was 
 soon found out, and the reputation of the brothers 
 was lost as speedily as it was acquired. In the 
 country parts of France most of the grocers sold, and 
 still sell, ratafias fabricated by themselves ; but they 
 are, one and all, poor stuff. At Beaumont and 
 Neuilly, in the environs of Paris, were two ratafia 
 makers who had great success. The Neuilly man
 
 250 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 
 
 made a considerable fortune and built a country 
 house, in which he caused to be engraved this in- 
 scription, " Ex liquido solidum." This is almost as 
 good as the Irish distiller who made a large fortune 
 by smuggling, and built a magnificent house which 
 he called " Sans souci." A brother in the trade, who 
 had been less fortunate because more honest, built a 
 small modest box nearly opposite, which he called 
 " Sans six sous." To return, however, to ratafias. 
 These are certainly the liqueurs which are prefer- 
 ably adopted in all menages bourgeois, because, being 
 but infusions of flowers or fruits, they are the cheapest 
 and the most easily made. The most popular ratafia 
 in France is the black currant, a renown which it 
 owes in a great measure to the praises bestowed on 
 it by Lemery,* who thus speaks of it : 
 
 " C'est un elixir tres excellent, et tres propre a 
 entretenir la sante. II est tr^s bon pour les hydro- 
 piques dissout les pierres, fait sortir le gravier, guerit 
 toutes les fievres tierces, quartres, continues. II pre- 
 serve du vomissement sur la mer, et du scorbut de la 
 bouche. II fait sortir la petite verole, la rougeole, le 
 pourpre, et toutes les maladies contagieuses. II pre- 
 vient la goutte, et purifie merveilleusement le sang ; 
 c'est un antidote centre tous les poisons et piqures 
 de betes venimeuses. II est bon pour les coliques, 
 
 * See " Traite des Alimens de Lemery." Par le Docteur 
 Bruhier.
 
 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 251 
 
 les dyssenteries, les maux et duretes de la rate. II 
 fortifie 1'estomac, chasse les vents, rejouit le cerveau, 
 guerit les migraines et les maux de tete. II est bon 
 pour toutes les maladies des femmes, meme en 
 couch e. II facilitte 1'accouchement. Quand on en 
 use habituellement, on n'a presque rien a craindre de 
 1'apoplexie ni de la paralysie. II n'y a point de maladie 
 qu'il ne soulage ni ne previenne. Son effet dans les 
 plaies est plus prompt que celui du baume du Perou. 
 On en a donne a des chevaux tres malades, qui ont 
 ete gueris en tres peu de temps," &c. 
 
 Although the French of the metropolis are now 
 somewhat disenchanted of their passion for black cur- 
 rant ratafia, yet it maintains its popularity in the 
 provinces. 
 
 The liqueurs of the French West India Islands 
 obtained a great renown in the last century. These 
 liqueurs were strong and ardent, and required to be 
 kept a long time before they were generally used. 
 One of the most renowned makers of these liqueurs 
 was the widow Anfoux of Martinique, who ulti- 
 mately came to Paris. It was plain, however, that 
 it was " distance " that " lent enchantment " to her 
 distilling ; for no sooner had she settled in the Rue 
 Montmartre, than her decoctions, infusions, and brew- 
 ings, began to pall on the taste of the Parisians. 
 Before the first French Revolution, liqueurs were 
 divided into two classes. The first might be called 
 essences; they bore the name of oily liqueurs, for
 
 252 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 
 
 they were, in fact, thick and oily : the second class 
 were, in opposition to those, called dry. The in- 
 ventor of the oily liqueurs was a Doctor Sigogne, 
 who, by the application of boiled sugar and saffron, 
 sought to render the liqueurs which he produced 
 more soft, velvety, and unctuous. In this he per- 
 fectly succeeded, and subsequently hit upon the 
 happy name for his brewing of Thuile de Venus. 
 This liqueur had a prodigious success ; some notions 
 of which may be formed from the fact that, after the 
 death of the inventor, small packages of it were sold 
 at private sales at the rate of three and four louis a 
 pint. The first distillateur liquoriste who acquired a 
 reputation in Paris was Le Lievre, then La Serre, 
 and afterwards a Sieur Omfroi. 
 
 The most renowned liqueur of our West India 
 Islands was the eau des Barbades. A very small 
 bottle of this used to sell for a louis d'or ; but the 
 price, as well as the fiery nature of the article, caused 
 it to sink in public favour. 
 
 The Dutch invented cinnamon water, creme de 
 girofle, and creme de canelle, when they were the ex- 
 clusive possessors of the Spice Islands, and also cu- 
 raqoa, which is now produced in great quantities in 
 Luxembourg (previously to the Belgian Revolu- 
 tion of 1830 a Dutch town) and Amsterdam. The 
 creme de girofle is a delightful liqueur, and is said by a 
 writer in the " Magazine of Domestic Economy " 
 to be excellent for singers when suffering under re-
 
 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 253 
 
 laxation of the throat. It is made by adding forty 
 drops of oil of cloves to a quart of spirits of wine 
 and a quart of syrup, with as much of red colouring 
 matter as will impart a good colour. Creme de canelle 
 is also an agreeable liqueur, and beneficial to the dys- 
 peptic by warming the stomach, and giving increased 
 action to that organ. 
 
 Curagoa is one of the very best of liqueurs. The 
 finest is made at Luxembourg and Amsterdam ; but, 
 if the frugal housekeeper cannot afford the expense 
 of the genuine article, he may resort to a receipt con- 
 tained in the second volume of the " Magazine of 
 Domestic Economy." 
 
 The tincture and pod of vanilla is much used in 
 France in flavouring as well as colouring liqueurs. 
 The creme de vanille is not an unpleasant cordial, and 
 is stomachic, and slightly stimulant. 
 
 Ireland invented that horrid burning beverage 
 called scubac, shubach, or usquebaugh. This liqueur, 
 called usquebaugh, or schubagh, had its birth in the 
 sweet, clean, neat little town of Drog-he-da; or, as 
 it was called in the time of Cromwell, Tredagh. 
 
 Schubagh is a decoction of barley, tinged with an 
 infusion of saffron, sweetened with sugar, to which is 
 added spirits of wine to give it strength. It is the 
 strongest and most fiery of cordials, and is only fit 
 for a Gueber. Schubagh was early counterfeited in 
 France, and the counterfeit may, by a species of con- 
 tradiction, be said to have surpassed the original.
 
 254 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 
 
 Many new ingredients were added, as mace, cloves, 
 cinnamon, jujubes, aniseed, juniper-leaves, &c. ; but, 
 notwithstanding this addition and improvement, this 
 beverage never became a favourite in Paris, though 
 it had subsequently some repute at Copenhagen, 
 Stockholm, Revel, and Riga. 
 
 To Ireland we are also indebted for raspberry 
 and black currant whiskey. A teaspoonful of either 
 may be taken, but it should be kept ten years in bottle. 
 
 The eau cordiale of Colladon, a famous physician of 
 Geneva, was composed of the essential oil of lemons, 
 extracted by expression, rectified spirits of wine, 
 sugar, and eau de melisse. This liqueur is reported to 
 have been the most salubrious and agreeable of any 
 in the category ; but the price of it was so excessive, 
 even during the life of the inventor, that it was but 
 little consumed. 
 
 The eau devie d'Andayeis a pure and simple brandy ; 
 but the slight taste of fennel which is communicated 
 to it in distillation, places it in the rank of liqueurs. 
 It was in the month of September, 1837, that having 
 crossed over the Bidassoa in a fordable part, running 
 the risk of being mistaken by the Carlists for a Chris- 
 tino, that I sat down under the shadow of the town 
 of Irun, and within view of Andaye itself, to eat of 
 a Dutch cheese, a shallot, some cresses, and a crust 
 of the beautifully white bread of Spain. I washed 
 down this homely fare with a glass of the far-famed 
 eau de vie d" 1 Andaye, diluted with the water of a rill
 
 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 255 
 
 which ran ripplingly over the pebbles beneath my 
 feet ; and, whether from the exercise, the purity of 
 the air, the tranquil stillness of the place rendered 
 more fearfully still by the reverberation of a stray 
 shot in the distance I thought the fare delicious, and 
 relished the brandy as the most vinous and cordial 
 drop I ever tasted. Mentioning this in the summer of 
 the following year to a West India gentleman, my 
 late lamented friend, Mr. James MacMahon, in the 
 Quarry Walk of Shrewsbury, and who was a great 
 gourmet, though a point-blank realist and matter-of- 
 fact man, he replied, " There's no delusion in it ; and 
 neither the air, the scenery, nor the exercise, had 
 anything to do with the matter. It is the pure 
 quality and excellence of the brandy alone that 
 gave to the beverage so intense a relish, as I shall 
 prove to you. A week ago I dined with Earl Talbot 
 at Ingestrie. There was a large party ; it was a 
 diner d*apparat, with turtle, venison, and all the 
 delicacies of the season. Half-a-dozen liqueurs were 
 produced ; but last of all some eau de vie cTAndaye, 
 which the host declared had been in the cellar since 
 1796, a period of forty-two years. Now it was nine 
 o'clock when this was produced, and my taste was 
 somewhat palled from the multitude of good things, 
 both solids and fluids, of which I had tasted ; yet, 
 whether from age or frequent rectification, I never 
 tasted anything so delicious, so that your theory falls 
 to the ground."
 
 256 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 
 
 In the island of Re, it is said, brandy is prepared 
 exactly by the same process as at Andaye; but, 
 though I have sailed by this island, it has never been 
 my fate to taste of the produce of its distillation. 
 
 The eau de vie de Dantzic is simply brandy recti- 
 fied, with the addition of aniseed and goldbeater's 
 leaf. This liqueur is not much used here, but it is 
 in great request in Paris. The receipt for making it 
 is as follows : To one quart of spirits of wine, add 
 twelve drops of oil of aniseed, six of oil of cinnamon, 
 three of oil of roses, and eight of oil of citron ; mix 
 with it a quart of syrup, filter it, and, when bottling, 
 mix with goldbeater's leaf cut into little bits. 
 
 Maraschino is the produce of a wild cherry, com- 
 mon in the territory of Zara in Dalmatia. For a 
 long succession of years the Dalmatians only made a 
 species of cherry-wine of their fruit ; but they after- 
 wards extracted a brandy from them, and ultimately 
 a liqueur, which was so perfect and popular, that be- 
 fore the first French Revolution the senate of Venice 
 kept the sale of the precious beverage in its own 
 hands. Some of the frontier French provinces of Al- 
 sace, Lorraine, and Dauphine, endeavoured to ex- 
 tract from the same species of cherry a brandy called 
 kirchwasser. With this they essayed, but in vain, to 
 imitate the maraschino of Zara. 
 
 There are many ratafias, essences, waters, and 
 eyrups produced in France as liqueurs, such as ratafia 
 d'angelique, de flore, de fleurs ff orange, de grenade,
 
 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 257 
 
 eau divine, cordiale du chasseur nuptiale, &c. ; but it 
 would be unjust not to mention the noyau, the ani- 
 sette de Bordeaux, and the absinthe. The noyau is 
 one of the most pleasing, but also one of the most 
 pernicious liqueurs when taken to excess. It is 
 chiefly made of the kernels of apricots and peaches, 
 which contain a vast quantity of prussic acid. Orange- 
 flower water and triturated vanille are also ingre- 
 dients. A very small liqueur-glass of this cordial is a 
 pleasing thing enough after fruit or coffee ; but the 
 portion taken should be small, nay, of the injiniment 
 petits. There is a pink as well as a white noyau, but 
 the latter is to be preferred. 
 
 Bordeaux is famous for its anisette ; and this liqueur 
 is not a bad carminative for gouty old men. The 
 name of Marie Brissart, as a manufacturer of anisette, 
 has attained a European reputation. 
 
 The absinthe is an excellent tonic and stomachic. 
 It is an infusion of wormwood, and is an especially 
 favourite liqueur with critics and reviewers, for its 
 extreme bitterness is nearly akin to their own. 
 
 The English liqueurs are few. The cherry bounce 
 of Hoffman and Son, of Bishopsgate Street Within, 
 which used to sell at 8s. or 9s. the pint, was excellent, 
 but the firm have made a fortune and retired. This 
 beverage had an immense sale at Bombay, Madras, 
 and Calcutta ; but it is, if possible, still more popular 
 up the Mofussil. 
 
 Rum ratafia, rum shrub, pine-apple rum, and 
 s
 
 258 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 
 
 brandy shrub, are all good things, but none of them 
 are so excellent as Hoffman's bounce. 
 
 It will be seen, from what I have stated, that all 
 these liqueurs, with whatever fine names they may be 
 decorated, have for their basis a mixture of brandy, 
 sugar, and water, whose proportions vary according 
 to the kind of liqueur which is to be prepared. Such 
 aromatic accessaries are added as are deemed most 
 proper to flatter the taste and the smell; and the 
 great talent of a Uquouriste consists in the choice and 
 admixture of these aromatics, and in the mingling 
 together such fruits and flavours as fraternise most 
 fully and cordially. The finest aroma in fruit and 
 flower will not always suffice, however, to produce 
 fine liqueurs. Some plants of exquisite natural 
 odours produce in distillation indifferent liqueurs; 
 others there are of not so odorous a smell, which 
 form the happiest possible combinations. There are 
 many, for instance, who do not like the aroma of the 
 truffle, and the perfumer can make little of it, yet it 
 furnishes a most agreeable ratafia. It must in can- 
 dour be admitted that the French are our masters in 
 the art of the Uquouriste. They divide liqueurs into 
 three classes, ordinaires, fines, and surfines. The 
 fine and superfine liqueurs are also known under the 
 designation of cremes and huiles. Oily liqueurs should 
 be made thicker than creamy, and should pour out 
 like olive oil. Such liqueurs as go under the names 
 of cremes are white, while the oily liqueurs should be
 
 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 259 
 
 of the colour of olive-oil. Our lively neighbours 
 profit by every innocent artifice to give a greater 
 vogue to their productions, and christen their cor- 
 dials with the most taking why should we not say 
 with the most pocket-picking names ? Thus we have 
 the petit lait de Henri Quarte, Teau des braves, Thuile 
 de Venus, le parfait amour, Teau nuptiale, Feau vir- 
 ginale, &c., the gouttes de Maltes of La Moine, and 
 the liqueur imperiale, and de Pomone of the same 
 fabricant. Many of the liqueurs drank both in Eng- 
 land and France are exceedingly unwholesome ; and 
 should any one need a cordial or stimulant after dinner 
 or with his coffee, I would in preference recommend 
 a small glass of pure Cognac brandy ; but this should 
 be obtained from a trustworthy house, as the Cognac 
 brandies are adulterated with Spanish or Bordeaux 
 brandy of very inferior quality, with neutral-flavoured 
 rum and rectified spirits. British brandy-bitters are 
 used to fill up the flavour, but comparatively in small 
 quantities, as it is exceedingly powerful. The adul- 
 terated brandy is usually composed of rectified spirits, 
 cassia, carraways, chamomile-flowers, orange-peel, 
 c. Cherry-laurel water is also used to answer the 
 same purpose as British brandy-bitters, and is, in- 
 deed, more frequently had recourse to, because the 
 quantity of it applied does not prevent a trial of the 
 strength of the brandy by the hydrometer. The 
 qualities of laurel-water are poisonous and pernicious, 
 and the extract of almond-cake, prepared by keeping
 
 260 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 
 
 a quantity of the cake for a long time in spirits of 
 wine, is also a noxious ingredient. The almond- 
 cake is used to impart to the adulterated brandy a 
 taste resembling the kernel flavour which the genuine 
 article possesses. The extract of capsicums and ex- 
 tract of grains of paradise, known in the trade by the 
 name of the devil, are also frequently used. The 
 extract of capsicums is made by putting a quantity 
 of the small East India chilies into a bottle of spirits 
 of wine, and keeping it closely stopped for a month. 
 The same process is followed in reference to grains of 
 paradise, and they are both used to impart an appear- 
 ance of strength. They infuse into the spirit, a hot, 
 pungent, fiery flavour, which no one of good taste 
 no one, indeed, whose organs of taste were not vitia- 
 ted by a long indulgence in ardent spirits would at 
 all relish. Colouring of burnt sugar is also had re- 
 course to, to deepen the colour of the brandy ren- 
 dered too pale by the preceding mixtures, and it is 
 further employed to answer the same end with rum. 
 Saffron, mace, terra japonica, spirits of sweet nitre, 
 and prunes, are used to improve the flavour of brandy, 
 and new brandy is made to look like old by the addi- 
 tion of aqua ammonia. 
 
 On the German liqueurs I have not yet touched. 
 The principal among these are the Pomeranzen, 
 Wackholder, and the Kummel. The Pomeranzen is 
 made by adding to a quart of spirits of wine ninety 
 drops of oil of orange and a quart of the syrup.
 
 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 261 
 
 The Wackholder is made by putting thirty drops 
 of oil of juniper to a quart of spirits of wine, adding 
 a quart of the syrup ; and Kummel is prepared by 
 adding to a quart of spirits of wine seventy drops of 
 oil of carraways. After it has been shaken well, it 
 should be filtered, and it will then be fit to bottle. 
 
 I have already intimated an opinion that the profuse, 
 or indeed the frequent and moderate use of liqueurs 
 is to be deprecated: but as an agreeable termination to 
 a repast, or as a gentle stimulus, inducing the stomach 
 to perform its functions more kindly, they may be 
 used with advantage. They should, however, be 
 taken rarely and sparingly, for the particular effect to 
 be looked for is a gentle action of the stomach. The 
 liqueur, whatever its nature, should be taken as in all 
 foreign countries, as a chasse cafe, immediately after 
 the small cup of strong coffee, and it should be sipped 
 slowly, and allowed to linger on the palate. 
 
 Jean de Milon, a famous physician, who wrote in 
 the seventeenth century, and addressed his aphorisms to 
 a king of England, proclaimed in the following verses 
 that nothing should be taken after coffee, so excellent 
 was it, and for this reason he condemns liqueurs : 
 
 " Praeludant offas, praecludat prandia coffe. 
 Dulcitur invadit, sed duriter ilia rodit. 
 Spiritus ex vino quern fundit dextra popino." 
 
 But with all respect to so eminent an authority, the 
 occasional use of a thimbleful of brandy bounce may
 
 262 On Liqueurs, Ratafias, and Elixirs. 
 
 be recommended after coffee as rather beneficial than 
 otherwise, for most will agree with old Lemery* in 
 thinking, " these liquors, being taken moderately, 
 heat and fortify the stomach, help digestion, expel 
 wind, allay the cholic, revive the spirits, promote the 
 circulation of the blood, and recover strength." 
 
 I have only to say, in conclusion, that the most 
 famous liqueurs of France are fabricated at Blois, 
 Grenoble, Langres, Montpelier, Nismes, Verdun, and 
 Paris. 
 
 * " Traite des Alimens," p. 360.
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 ALE, BEEB, CIDEB, AND PEBRY. 
 
 LE or beer are rarely if ever produced at 
 regular set dinners now-a-days, though 
 at quiet family parties of three or four, 
 or in private houses en famille, table 
 beer, ale, and stout are often used by invalids; and 
 occasionally are taken from choice by young, middle- 
 aged, and elderly people who drink both ale and 
 wine. At the mid-day meal called lunch, also, beer 
 is an article not unfrequently taken by those young 
 ladies who exhibit so little appetite for dinner at 
 fashionable tables at eight o'clock. 
 
 The beers most generally consumed in London are 
 Bass's and Allsopp's bitter beer, and Guinness's Irish 
 stout. All these, when obtained genuine, are excel- 
 lent, and I believe wholesome, but they should be 
 used very sparingly indeed when wine is taken. 
 Dr. Paris tells us that the most useful quality in the 
 beer comes from the hop. " Independently," says 
 he, " of the flavour and tonic virtues which hops
 
 264 Ale, Beer, Cider, and Perry. 
 
 communicate, they precipitate by means of their 
 astringent principle the vegetable mucilage, and thus 
 remove from the beer the active principle of fermen- 
 tation ; without hops, therefore, we must either drink 
 our malt liquors new and ropy, or old and sour." 
 The nutricious qualities of malt liquors, for those 
 who live much in the open air, who hunt, shoot, or 
 use much corporeal exercise, cannot be disputed. 
 But the studious and the sedentary would do well to 
 avoid beer, if wine be consumed by them at the same 
 meal. 
 
 Good cider is an exceedingly wholesome beverage 
 for persons who exercise much in the open air, and 
 it relieves thirst better than malt liquors, but it is 
 now never seen at a London dinner-table, and is 
 only to be met at country houses in Devonshire, 
 Gloucestershire, Somersetshire, or Herefordshire, or 
 occasionally in some of the common rooms of Oxford 
 and Cambridge. 
 
 According to the accounts of some modern writers, 
 it is not more than four centuries since cider has been 
 introduced into France. Be this as it may, provincial 
 academies in all parts of Normandy, Brittany, and 
 the higher Pyrenees, have agitated the question for 
 years and years together de origine cidri, and it seems 
 now to be agreed by these men, or literati, that the 
 invention is due to the Biscayans, who taught the 
 natives of Barbary to fabricate it ; who, in their turn, 
 taught the art to the Normans. It is certain, if we
 
 Ale, Seer, Cider, and Perry. 265 
 
 are to believe Du Perron, that when the Normans, 
 in the sixteenth century, had not sufficient cider for 
 their own consumption, they drew their supply 
 from Biscay ; but long before the period con- 
 tended for either by Normans or Biscayans, cider 
 was drunk at the table of the French kings of the 
 first race. 
 
 In France the best ciders are produced in the Pays 
 de Caux, in the Valley d'Auge, and in the beautiful 
 country of the Cotentin. Francis I., in passing by 
 Morsalines in 1532, found the cider so good, that he 
 purchased a considerable quantity, of which he drank 
 so long as the provision lasted. The finest cider in 
 England, taken in the gross, is made in Hereford- 
 shire ; but there is a particular kind made in Somer- 
 setshire which, for softness, fulness, and velvety 
 flavour, surpasses the Herefordshire cider. It is 
 called by the extraordinary name of Cocky Gee. 
 The best cider in France goes by as extraordinary a 
 cognomen. It is called the Cue-Noue, and is pro- 
 nounced by Charles Etienne unequalled for softness, 
 bouquet, and beauty of colour. There was a college 
 in Oxford in my younger days, two of the fellows of 
 which used to yearly obtain hogsheads of this Cocky 
 Gee cider from an old clergyman in Somersetshire, 
 who made the liquor from the produce of his own 
 orchard. Never was there a more delicious beverage. 
 Full-flavoured, soft, creamy, yet vigorous, it was 
 preferred to any champagne.
 
 266 Ale, .Seer, Cider, and Perry. 
 
 Of perry, it is not necessary I should say much, as 
 it has a great affinity to champagne. The pious 
 Radegonde, according to the legend, drank perry 
 water to mortify herself. The three best species of 
 perry are made with the Poire de Cire, the Robert, and 
 Carisi. The first does not keep, the second flies to 
 the head, and the third, though it has the same effect, 
 is renowned for its strength, limpidity, and muscadel 
 flavour. Two centuries and a half ago this country 
 imported much cider and perry from Normandy. 
 About the same period, great quantities were sent to 
 Paris from the provinces ; but, so soon as it was per- 
 ceived that the cabaretiers made use of it to adul- 
 terate their wines, the use of the beverage was for- 
 bidden. 
 
 It was not till about a century ago that the usage 
 of hydromel at dinner and dessert altogether ceased. 
 In the thirteenth century this beverage was made by 
 adding twelve pints of water to one of honey ; but 
 it was then so insipid and flat, that aromatic herbs, 
 foreign and domestic, were added to give it pungency. 
 Hydromel thus prepared was called bogerase, borge- 
 rafre, or borgeraste. In the monkish houses it was 
 used as a treat on feast-days. In the coutumes of the 
 order of Cluni it is called potus dulcissimus. The 
 clergy, in those days, had, like the laity, their periods 
 of festivity and rejoicing. In the repasts of the 
 northern nations, beer was always served with dessert, 
 and, even in the present day, in Hamburg, Lubeck,
 
 Ale, Beer, Cider, and Perry. 267 
 
 Altona, Kiel, Dantzic, and many other of the northern 
 parts of Germany, nuts and ale are considered a rare 
 treat. It is a mistaken notion to think that beer 
 is a modern beverage, or that its use is exclu- 
 sively confined to England. The Egyptians had two 
 sorts of beer, one called zythus, the other curmi or 
 carmi. Belon, in his " Observations sur les Singu- 
 larites trouvees en Grece et en Asie," inclines to the 
 opinion that the curmi was made with the whole 
 grain, and that the zythus was, like the posca of the 
 Latins, a species of orgeat, made with the flour of 
 the grain, which was kept in paste and diluted for 
 the occasion. The ancient Gauls knew but two 
 beverages, wine and beer. The use which they made 
 of beer is attested by Diodorus Siculus, by Athenj-eus, 
 by Theophrastus, and by Pliny. Diodorus and Theo- 
 phrastus state that the Gauls called their beer zythus. 
 If this be true, it is not improbable that they received 
 from the Egyptians both the name and the beverage. 
 Be this as it may, it is certain that the insensate order 
 which Domitian gave, to tear up all the vines in 
 Gaul, rendered the use of beer but the more general. 
 Nor did the permission of Probus to replant the vine 
 cause a more general use of the juice of the grape; for, 
 about eighty years after his reign, the Emperor Julian 
 complains of the general use of beer, and even con- 
 descends to brew an epigram against the bitter and 
 wholesome beverage. To Probus, however, every 
 lover of wine is indebted. The wines of Burgundy,
 
 268 Ale, Beer, Cider, and Perry. 
 
 Champagne, and even Tokay, owe to him their ex- 
 istence.* Speaking of this emperor, Crevier says : 
 " Je m'etonnerais que ce prince n'eut pas etc celebre 
 par les buveurs comme un nouveau Bacchus, si les 
 buveurs etoient savans.f II prit soin lui-meme de 
 faire planter en vigne par les soldats le Mont Alma 
 pres de Sermim sa patrie, et le Mont d'or dans le 
 Moesie superieure, et il donna ces vignobles aux ha- 
 titans du pays, en les chargeant du soin et des frais 
 de la culture." 
 
 Julian, on the contrary, affected or followed so- 
 briety, disdained the use of beer, and, though he 
 praises the severe and simple manners of his beloved 
 Paris, rw ipiXw A.tvx.tTux,v,\ yet he austerely chides 
 the intemperance of the Gauls, while admitting the 
 excellence of their vines. That the vines were rare 
 in his time, and wine dear, is plain from the fact that 
 the Parisians of that early day were in the habit of 
 drinking beer, as the middle classes of England do 
 in the year of grace, 1864. Thus, 1500 years ago, 
 to speak in round numbers, the Parisians commenced 
 their repasts with beer, and finished with wine. The 
 custom still subsists both in England, Flanders, and 
 Germany, though it may be said to be nearly fallen 
 into disuse in France. At the table of the Burgun- 
 dian kings it was customary to serve both wine and 
 
 * Eutropius. f Hist, des Empereurs, torn. ii. 
 
 | Julian in Misopogon, p. 359.
 
 Ale, Beer, Cider, and Perry. 269 
 
 cider at the same time ; and if Thierri, King of Bur- 
 gundy, drank both wine and cider at the same meal, 
 who will deny that the French kings may not have 
 drunk wine and beer ? Charlemagne, in his capitu- 
 lary de villis, directs that among the workmen to be 
 employed on his farms there shall be some who know 
 how to make beer. It is a remarkable fact, that the 
 fairest and most favoured countries of the earth 
 the countries producing the best wines, Greece, 
 Gaul, Italy, and Spain have simultaneously used 
 beer. The council of Aix-la-Chapelle regulated the 
 quantity of beer and wine which should be consumed 
 by both sexes in religious houses. In a rich house, 
 situated in an abundant wine country, each regular 
 canon was daily allowed five pounds' weight of wines, 
 and each chanoinesse three. If it were a country not 
 thickly studded with vines, the allowance was three 
 pounds of wine with three of beer for the canon, and 
 two of beer and two of wine for the chanoinesse. 
 There were brewhouses in all the ancient monas- 
 teries. In going through Picardy, Normandy, and 
 Brittany, even in our own day, the spot where the 
 brewhouse formerly existed is always shown. When 
 the monks drank beer they were wise enough to 
 brew it themselves, and were not tributary to the 
 Barclays, Meuxs, Calverts, Guinnesses, Basses, Hod- 
 sons, and Allsopps of the day. Within the walls of 
 the convent were the ovens, the vats, and even the 
 mills necessary for the grain. There exists a charter
 
 270 Ale, Beer, Cider, and Perry. 
 
 of Henry I. (1042) in favour of the monastery of 
 Montreuil-sur-Mer, by which the monarch grants to 
 that house two of those mills cerevisice usibus de ser- 
 vientes. In our own country the custom of brewing 
 in religious houses survived the Reformation, and the 
 beer of Trinity and Christchurch is now just as good 
 as it was in the time of William of Wykeham, Arch- 
 bishop Chichele, Hugh de Balsham, or William Bate- 
 man, Bishop of Norwich. 
 
 As the number of vineyards increased in France, 
 the use of beer diminished, until it became at length 
 uncommon to see it at the table of a layman. In the 
 thirteenth century that very Paris, which under the 
 Emperor Julian had scarcely any other beverage than 
 beer, could hardly count a brewer. But the frater- 
 nity who delight in gentian, coculus Indicus, maze- 
 rion, liquorice root, and grains of paradise, again ap- 
 peared in numbers towards 1428. The author of the 
 "Journal de Paris," composed under the reigns of 
 Charles VI. and VII., attributes this descent from 
 wine to beer to the oppressive taxation and heavy 
 exactions of Charles VI. Among the memoirs fur- 
 nished to the Duke of Burgundy in 1698 by the dif- 
 ferent intendants of the kingdom, on the state of 
 France, the memoir of the intendant of Paris remarks 
 that the misery and distress of the people had con- 
 siderably diminished the commerce of wine in his 
 district ; whilst the consumption of beer, on the con- 
 trary, increased in proportion, so that in the same
 
 Ale, Beer, Cider, and Perry. 271 
 
 year the brewers had consumed 80,000 setters (the 
 setier was twelve bushels) of barley, without count- 
 ing the corn employed for white beer. At this 
 period beer in France was made of barley and rye, 
 but meslin, corn, vetches, and lentils, were also added. 
 The seeds or flowers of hops were added only when 
 wheat or barley was used. 
 
 The use of hops was entirely unknown to the 
 ancient Gauls, and how they, under these circum- 
 stances, contrived to keep their beer is a secret lost 
 to us moderns. In the thirteenth century the French 
 had a better species of double beer, which they called 
 godale, probably from the English words good ale, or 
 the Frisian gut ael. The wisest of men has said, 
 " There is nothing new under the sun; " and a further 
 illustration of the truth of this remark is afforded by 
 the fact that, even thus early, the Parisian brewers 
 were accustomed to put spices, bay-leaves, and pitch, 
 into their beer to give it flavour. The statutes of 
 Boileve, exclusively meant for brewers, say that these 
 practices " ne sont ne bonnes ne loyaux." Some there 
 were who, according to Charles Etienne, added tares 
 to the beer, at the risk of rendering the beverage not 
 only intoxicating, but dangerous. But, as if to ex- 
 cuse this Parisian practice, the author adds, "The 
 English mix in their beer sugar, cinnamon, and 
 cloves, and afterwards clarify it." Schookius, who 
 wrote in 1661, tells us that it was the custom to salt 
 the beer at Minden, in Westphalia; and that in
 
 272 Ale, Seer, Cider, and Perry. 
 
 Flanders they added besides the hops, the bay-leaf, 
 gentian, sage, lavender, and clary, which is after all 
 a species of sage. 
 
 There was a more agreeable beer, which was made 
 sweeter with honey, and which was much in vogue 
 in France among the rich. In Germany no other 
 beer was druuk, and it became so popular in that 
 country that it was forbidden to penitents, excepting 
 on the Sunday, because, says the Council of Worms, 
 " it was too voluptuous a drink." This sweeter beer 
 prevailed in France till the end of the sixteenth cen- 
 tury, when liqueurs a Feau de vie became the rage. 
 The beer-brewers, not wishing to be behindhand, 
 tried to make a species of liqueur out of their beer- 
 vats. They produced an article called a Fambre, in 
 which there was a decoction of coriander seeds, and 
 another a la framboise; but neither of these were suc- 
 cessful. The beer of Cambrai was the best Conti- 
 nental beer in the sixteenth century, but it is beaten 
 in the nineteenth by the brown beer of Bavaria, the 
 white beer of Berlin, and the alembique of Brussels. It 
 is in no respect wonderful that the inhabitant of the 
 more northern regions should excel in this beverage 
 the native of the sweet south. The German, the 
 Fleming, the Dutchman, who drinks beer, and beer 
 only, wishes it strong, nourishing, and malty; the 
 Parisian, on the contrary, whose ordinary drink is 
 wine, and who resorts to beer as we do in warm 
 weather to soda water, pop, and ginger-beer, merely
 
 Ale, Beer, Cider, and Perry. 273 
 
 requires that the liquor shall be light, brisk, sparkling, 
 and agreeable. I have no means of knowing the 
 number of brewers in Paris at present, but there were 
 forty 120 years ago, who annually made about 75,000 
 muids of beer (the muid is 300 pints). Little more 
 than seventy years ago there were but twenty-three 
 brewers in Paris, of whom the revolutionary Santerre 
 was the most celebrated in the Faubourg St. Antoine. 
 On the 10th of August he became commandant of 
 the National Guard; on the llth of December, he 
 conducted Louis XVI. to the bar of the National 
 Convention ; and on the 21st of January, 1793, he 
 commanded with Berryer the troops that were pre- 
 sent at the execution of this unfortunate prince. It 
 was the brewer Santerre who interrupted the mon- 
 arch when he essayed to speak from the scaffold, and 
 who caused his sovereign's voice to be drowned by 
 beat of drum. Santerre more than once showed the 
 white feather, as the epitaph written on him proves : 
 
 " Ci git le General Santerre, 
 Qui n'avait de Mars que la bierre." 
 
 That there are now as many brewers in Paris as 
 there were a century ago may be well doubted. At 
 the peace in 1815, a number of English and Scotch 
 brewers went over, and entered into brewery specu- 
 lations in Paris and the provinces ; but the greater 
 number of these were wholly ruined, and repented, 
 when too late, of their short-sighted imprudence. 
 
 T
 
 274 Ale, Seer, Cider, and Perry. 
 
 In seasons of dearth, the Paris brewers were 
 forbidden by ordonnance to make beer. Ordonnauces 
 of the Prevot de Paris appeared to this effect in 1415, 
 and again in 1482. An arretof the council renewed 
 this interdiction in 1693, and two others of the par- 
 liament to a like effect appeared in 1709 and 1740.
 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 ON "WINES, ANCIENT AND MODERN. 
 
 EVERAL treatises have been written 
 on wine in most European countries. 
 Lord Bacon, in the days of Elizabeth, 
 did not disdain to give his attention to 
 the subject; and his Italian contemporary, Andrea 
 Bacci, the physician of the able Sextus the Fifth, has 
 given us probably the best history of wine in that 
 rare and curious book, " De Natural! Vinorum His- 
 toria." About a century ago a Sir Edward Barry, 
 then a physician at Bath, and afterwards state phy- 
 sician to the Viceroy of Ireland, published his 
 " Observations, Historical, Critical, and Medical, on 
 the Wines of the Ancients; and on the Analogy 
 between them and Modern Wines." In consequence 
 of the interest excited by the topic, this work, now 
 somewhat rare, acquired a certain repute, but it does 
 not now stand in the estimation it did half a century 
 ago. Much that Barry tells us of the ancient wines 
 is borrowed from Bacci ; and there is a great deal of 
 useless disquisition mixed with some absurdity. The
 
 276 On Wines ) Ancient and Modern. 
 
 late Dr. Henderson, a good judge of wine, and 
 who had some excellent wine in his cellar, published 
 his " History of Ancient Wines " some seven or 
 eight and thirty years ago, in which there is a great 
 deal of interesting and useful information. This was 
 followed by a " History and Description of Modern 
 Wines," commenced by Mr. Cyrus Redding in 1832, 
 and published in 1833. The work was so useful and 
 successful that a second edition was called for in 
 1835, and published in 1836.* From 1836 to the 
 past year there has not been anything very remark- 
 able published in England on the subject of wines. 
 In the month of December last Mr. J. G. Shaw 
 published a work entitled, " Wine, the Vine, and the 
 Cellar," and in January of the present year, Mr. 
 Denman, also a wine merchant, published a work 
 called the " Wine and its Fruit," more especially in 
 relation to the production of wine. Both of these 
 works are f well printed and illustrated, but they 
 really add little to what was before known on the 
 subject by any one who has made wine his study. 
 
 Barry tells us it was the reading of Hippocrates 
 as a professional duty which first led him to the 
 consideration of the subject of wines. Hippocrates 
 described the various qualities of wines, and adapted 
 vinous mixtures to different diseases and constitu- 
 tions. By lessening the proportion of water usually 
 
 * I believe a third edition has been published in 1860.
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 277 
 
 mixed with wine, he made a powerful cordial ; as, by 
 increasing the water, he obtained a cooling diluent. 
 
 It is impossible to deny that wine, taken in 
 moderation, tends to strengthen and excite the 
 spirits, to cheer and comfort the languid, and to re- 
 fresh the toil-worn and exhausted. The poets of 
 Greece and Rome celebrate the praises of wine, and, 
 as though the invention of the liquor were too tran- 
 scendental to be human, attribute it to the gods 
 to Osiris, Saturn, and Bacchus. Anacreon calls the 
 juice of the grape ambrosial; and Homer himself 
 bestows on wine the epithet divine, TTOTOV Qttov. 
 
 Plato, while he would strictly restrain the use and 
 severely censure excess in wine, maintains with more 
 than his usually persuasive power, that nothing more 
 excellent than the juice of the grape was ever granted 
 by God to man. It appears from the ancient histo- 
 rians that the rules for the culture and preparation of 
 wine and grapes descended from the Egyptians to the 
 Greeks, who improved and perfected them, and that 
 the Romans, in turn, became the scholars of the 
 Greeks. 
 
 As the soil of Italy was favourable to the vine, 
 vineyards soon spread through the country. Italy 
 became distinguished by the name of (Enotria, and 
 the inhabitants were called (Enotrii viri. An infinity 
 of wines were produced from the various species of 
 grapes. Virgil, who was as familiar with agricul- 
 ture as he excelled in poetry, says it would be as
 
 278 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 easy to enumerate the sands of the sea-shore as the 
 different species of wine. 
 
 Pliny carefully collected all that had been written 
 before his time on the subject of the vine. He de- 
 scribes the various species of the vitis, and the mode 
 and manner of making wines. He enumerates the 
 principal wines of Asia, Greece, and Italy. 
 
 Cato, Marcus, Varro, and Columella have also 
 written on the culture of the vine and wine-making ; 
 and it appears from the productions of these writers 
 that they perfectly understood the racking off into 
 fresh casks which had been previously impregnated 
 with the vapour of sulphur. Out of these authors 
 and Palladius, Mr. Redding admits that an excel- 
 lent treatise might be formed on the grape and its 
 products ; though he states, and truly, that on the 
 qualities and flavour of the ancient wines the moderns 
 must be content to remain in ignorance. 
 
 o 
 
 We know, for instance, that the light and delicate 
 Setine, was the favourite wine of Augustus ; that it 
 is commended by Martial, Juvenal, and Silius Italicus, 
 who pronounces it to be worthily reserved for Bac- 
 chus himself, " ipsius mensis seposta Lyaci." I am 
 not, however, quite so sure as Dr. Barry that it was 
 the wine so much recommended by St. Paul to Titus 
 for strengthening the stomach. " It was grown," says 
 Henderson, " on the heights of Sezza," and though 
 not a strong wine, possessed sufficient firmness and per- 
 manence to undergo the operation of the fumarium ;
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 279 
 
 for Juvenal alludes to some which was so old that the 
 smoke had obliterated the mark of the jar in which it 
 was contained. The process which these wines un- 
 derwent in the fumarium gave to them a greater 
 transparency and more early maturity. This method 
 had been long known to the Greeks, their aTroOjixn 
 being equivalent to the Roman fumarium. The an- 
 cients were perfect adepts in these methods of forcing 
 wines, and they used for the purpose plain and burnt 
 salt, bitter almonds, the whites of eggs, and particu- 
 larly isinglass. But when wines were more than 
 usually foul, they added sand, or marble finely pow- 
 dered. Salt water, also, was frequently used to de- 
 purate and preserve wine. This discovery is said to 
 have been owing to a slave's having drunk part of a 
 cask of wine committed to his care and concealed the 
 fraud with sea water; the wine thus falsified was 
 found to be superior to the wine of the same growth 
 contained in the other casks. The Romans were but 
 children in the art of adulteration, when compared 
 with the Greeks. Palladius gives several receipts 
 which were used by the Greeks for improving the 
 flavour, colour, and strength of their wines, and 
 likewise to give to new the qualities of old wine ; 
 in one, a mixture of hepatic aloes had a consider- 
 able share. Cato favours us also with a curious receipt 
 for making an artificial Chian wine with the Faler- 
 nian. He directs that the sea- water should be taken 
 up at a great distance from the land, and that it
 
 280 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 should be kept in casks for some time before being 
 used. 
 
 The Ccecuban wine is described as a generous, 
 strong-bodied wine, which would keep, but which 
 would affect the head if taken in quantity : in a word, 
 it was a heady liquor, which the modern French would 
 call, as they do the vin de Juranqon, " capiteux." Like 
 most heady wines, too, it required long keeping ere 
 it was ripe. It was one of the favourite wines of 
 Horace, and was generally reserved for important 
 festivals : 
 
 " Antehac nefas depormere Csecubum 
 Cellis avitis." 
 
 The far-famed Falernian was grown about the 
 bases of hills. Galen observes that were two sorts of 
 Falernian, the dry and the sweetish. The latter was 
 only produced when the wind continued in the south 
 during the vintage. Martial dignifies Falernian with 
 the epithet immortal : 
 
 " Addere quid cessas, puer, immortale Falernum ?" 
 
 But, although the name of the Falernian be familiar 
 in our mouths as " household words," nothing is known 
 of its taste, flavour, or colour. It is, however, de- 
 scribed as a strong wine, that would keep long, and so 
 rough, that it required to be cellared a great number 
 of years before it was sufficiently mellow. 
 
 The wines of the Mons Falernus, however, always 
 preserved a superior character. Tibullus places them
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 281 
 
 under the superintending care of Bacchus. Silius 
 Italicus gives them a preference over the Asiatic and 
 Greek wines ; and Virgil, in bestowing smooth, flow- 
 ing praises on the vinum Rhceticum, says, it must, 
 nevertheless, yield the palm to the Falernian. 
 
 Among the lighter wines of the Roman territory, 
 the Sabinum, Nomentanum, and Venafrum, were 
 among the most popular. " The first," says Hen- 
 derson, " was a thin table wine, of a reddish colour, 
 attaining its maturity in seven years. The Nomenta- 
 num, a delicate claret wine, is described as coming to 
 perfection in five or six years." Among the Sicilian 
 wines, the Mamertinum, which came from the neigh- 
 bourhood of Messina, and is said to have been first 
 introduced at public entertainments by Julius Ca3sar, 
 was light and astringent. 
 
 The Greeks were fonder of wine than the Romans, 
 and were supplied with a greater variety. Among 
 the earliest of the Greek wines, of which we have any 
 distinct account is the Maronean, " probably," says 
 Henderson, " the production of Ismaurus, near the 
 mouth of the Hebrus, where Ulysses received the 
 supply which he carried with him on his voyage to 
 the land of the Cyclops. The Maronean was a 
 black, sweet wine, and from the manner in which 
 Homer sings its virtues, the quality must have been 
 indeed superior. The Pramnian was a red, but not 
 a sweet wine, of equal antiquity. It was a potent and 
 durable liquor, and must have somewhat resembled
 
 282 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 port. It was, however, in the luscious, sweet wines 
 that the Greeks surpassed their neighbours. These 
 wines were the products of the islands of the Ionian 
 and the 2Egean Seas, where the exquisite climate and 
 a suitable soil gave to the fruit a peculiar flavour and 
 excellence. Lesbos, Chios, and Thasos, seems, ac- 
 cording to Henderson, to have contended for the supe- 
 riority ; but several of the other islands, such as 
 Corcyra, Cyprus, Crete, Cnidos, and Rhodes, yielded 
 wines which were much esteemed for their sweet- 
 ness and delicacy. The Thasian and some of the 
 Cretan wines were peculiarly fragrant. Athenasus 
 calls the former oivo$ ai/Qoo-jt-uo?. 
 
 The Greeks, gourmets as they were, did not confine 
 themselves to the indigenous growths. They were 
 familiar with the produce of the African and Asiatic 
 wines, of which several enjoyed a high reputation. 
 They drank of the white wines of Mareotis and 
 Taenia, in Lower Egypt ; of the wine of Antylla, the 
 produce of the vicinity of Alexandria ; of the sweet 
 wine of Lydia, in Asia Minor; of the Scybellites, so 
 called from the place of its growth in Galatia, also 
 in Asia Minor. The Greeks, like the Romans, drank 
 all their wines, especially those of the stronger kind, 
 very largely diluted with water, for their common 
 drink. Plutarch has mentioned three different kinds 
 of mixtures. The irwrt, or five, consisted of three 
 parts of water and two of pure wine ; and the rpia, 
 or three, of two parts of water and one of wine ;
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 283 
 
 the fourth consisted of three parts of water, and one 
 of wine. 
 
 Athenasus mentions a mixture called TT^TE xat <Jvo, 
 which consisted of five parts of pure wine and two 
 of water. 
 
 The recent Greek wines, which were meant for 
 more immediate use, were kept in goat-skins. But, 
 even in Homer's time the Greeks were well ac- 
 quainted with the art of preserving their best and 
 stronger wines in wooden casks, or hogsheads (which 
 he calls ?n0ot), until they had attained a proper ma- 
 turity. 
 
 As to the Gauls, it is certain that, six centuries 
 before Christianity was introduced, they knew the 
 use of wine ; for, when the Phocaeans came to found 
 Marseilles, Petta, the daughter of a king of the 
 country, presented, according to Athenseus, to 
 Euxenes their chief, a cup filled with wine and 
 water. But who first planted the vine in Gaul, and 
 who first cultivated it there ? It would be difficult 
 to answer these questions. According to Justin and 
 Strabo, it appears that the Phocaeans were not only 
 the first to introduce the vine among the Gauls, but 
 the first to learn them to cut and cultivate it. Pliny, 
 on the other hand, says it was a person named Elicoa, 
 who, having made some money at Rome, and wishing 
 to return to his country, carrying with him wine and 
 dried fruits, sold them to the inhabitants, exhorting 
 them to the conquest of the flowing, fruitful land
 
 284 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 that produced such liquor. Cicero tells us, that one 
 of the most lucrative of commercial transactions 
 among the Gauls was the exportation of their wine 
 to Italy. Columella counts these wines among the 
 number rendered necessary for consumption in 
 Rome, " Nobis e transmarinis provinciis advehitur 
 frumentum, ne fame laboremus; et vindemias con- 
 dimus ex insulus Cycladibus, ac regionibus Beticis 
 Gallicisque." Diodorus Siculus, however, maintains 
 that it was the Italian wines that were consumed in 
 Gaul, and states the Ultramontane dealers who car- 
 ried them gained immense sums in this commerce. 
 Possidonius, an author contemporary with Diodorus 
 and Cicero, and who had travelled in Gaul, is cited 
 by Athenaeus to prove that it was only the richest of 
 the nation that drank wine, which they imported from 
 Italy or the territory of Marseilles. 
 
 There is some reason to believe that the vineyards 
 of Burgundy are as old as the Antonines. In the 
 beginning of the fourth century, the orator Eumenius 
 speaks of the vines in the territory of Autun, which 
 were decayed through age, and the first plantation of 
 which was totally unknown. The Pagus Arebrignus 
 is supposed by M. d'Anville to be the district of 
 Beaune, celebrated now for a fine growth of Bur- 
 gundy. 
 
 When the Romans had submitted that portion of 
 Gaul to their arms which is called Provence, the 
 Roman colonists in Dauphine, Provence, and a part
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 285 
 
 of Languedoc, extended vine-plantations. Soon they 
 spread far and wide, and, in the time of Caesar, many 
 provinces were in possession of vines, as Strabo, 
 Varro, and Caesar himself, testify. 
 
 Among the excellent grapes peculiar to Gaul, Co- 
 lumella numbers those of the Bituriges ; but, as this 
 name was common both to the people of Berry and of 
 the Bordelais, it is difficult to divine to which of the 
 provinces the praise of the Latin author properly 
 applies. The probability, however, is, that it refers 
 to the Bordelais ; for Ausonius, who lived in the 
 fourth century of the Christian era, loudly boasts of 
 the wine of Bordeaux. 
 
 The mode of training the vine in Gaul consisted 
 in intertwining the branches amongst each other, 
 which differed essentially from the Roman system. 
 The ancient Gaulish practice subsists to this day in 
 Provence, in Languedoc, in Beam, and in the eastern 
 portion of Dauphine. The Gauls, who manured their 
 fields with marl, used ashes as a compost for the 
 roots of their vines. 
 
 Marseilles, says Pliny, produces a rich, thick 
 wine, which has two flavours, and serves to mix with 
 other wines. It is difficult, he continues, to pro- 
 nounce on the merits of the wines of Narbonne, be- 
 cause the wine-makers, with a view to change their 
 taste and colour, adulterate them, mix them with 
 herbs and noxious drugs, even with aloes. These 
 tricks were in Italy reduced to a trade, and the wine-
 
 286 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 doctors were called Conditura vinorum. But not- 
 withstanding these faults, writes Athenaeus, the wine 
 of Marseilles was good, and possessed, above all, the 
 quality of ripening other wines when mixed with 
 them. 
 
 The Narbonnese were not the only adulterators. 
 The Allobroges, a people of Dauphine, had a parti- 
 cular pitch which they mixed with their wine. If 
 we are to believe Dioscorides, the infusion of pitch 
 was a necessary ingredient in the Gaulish wines ; 
 otherwise, says he, they would have soured, the cli- 
 mate not being warm enough to ripen the grape. 
 The reason assigned by Dioscorides would prove 
 either that the climate of Gaul was then really 
 colder than it is now, or that the art of making wine 
 was still in its infancy. Excellent wine is now made 
 in provinces more northward than Dauphine, and 
 still better in the north of France, and the countries 
 bathed by the waters of the Moselle and the Rhine. 
 No doubt, innocent means may be employed in cold 
 years, without any risk, to give to the wine a quality 
 which it wants. For a long while the Charnpenois 
 have been in the habit of smoking their casks with 
 sulphur before using them. The Abbe Rozier, in a 
 Memoir upon the best manner of making the wines of 
 Provence, proposes, when the wine is austere or acid, 
 to dilute honey in the must before.it ferments. M. 
 de Prefontaine, in the " Maison Rustique de Cay- 
 enne," published in 1763, speaking of the grapes pro-
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 287 
 
 duced in that island, says that if they were to be 
 used for the purpose of making wine, their natural 
 tartness might be corrected by adding a little sugar. 
 But this practice had been long previously secretly 
 followed in that portion of the Bordelais traversed 
 by the Dordogne, whose principal towns are Ber- 
 gerac and St. Foi. At the commencement of the last 
 century the wines of this province suddenly acquired 
 such a renown, that there were proprietors who, in a 
 few years, quadrupled the price. The neighbouring 
 proprietors suspected there was something wrong, 
 some secret they could not fathom. They watched 
 for a long while, and at length discovered that im- 
 mense quantities of sugar arrived in the night. This 
 discovery at first led to nothing ; but, in thd end a 
 cooper, who knew the secret, having been dismissed 
 from an establishment in which he had been employed, 
 revealed the secret in order to revenge himself. Only 
 five or six families profited by the man's treason. 
 They took good care to keep the profit to themselves, 
 till a M. Vaucocour published a letter, in which he 
 disclosed the receipt, which consisted in reducing the 
 sugar to a syrup, and then in aromatising it with 
 peach-flowers or the like. 
 
 The Marseillais had, in the olden time, another 
 method. This was to boil and smoke their wines in 
 order to thicken them, and to give them the appear- 
 ance and flavour of old wines : 
 
 " Improba Massiliaj quidquid fumaria cogunt, 
 Accipit aetatem quisquis ab igne cadus."
 
 288 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 The Romans were also in the habit of smoking their 
 wines. The proof is recorded in Horace : 
 
 " Amphorae fumum bibere institutse." 
 Tibullus also alludes to it : 
 
 " Nunc raihi fumosos veteris proferte Falernos 
 Consulis." 
 
 Baccius, in his work. " De Natural! Vinorum His- 
 toria," speaking of the wines in Alsace, says that 
 they were kept exposed to the smoke in hot chambers, 
 where they became so thick that they were no longer 
 drinkable, unless they were beaten with twigs or di- 
 luted with hot water. The following are his words : 
 " Super fumo diu et in ajstuariis retenta, earn acqui- 
 runt vetustate crassitiem, ut potari per se non possint, 
 nisi diu agitata immissis scopis aut origis dissolvantur, 
 vel eliquata per aquam calidam fiant potui idonea: 
 quo usu legimus crassa fuisse antiquis vina, quae sirni- 
 liter per aquam calidam essent dissolvenda." 
 
 Since the discoveries made at Herculaneum and 
 Pompeii, there have been found among the ruins one 
 of the vases which served for the operation of which 
 I speak, and in which the wine had entirely dried. 
 A similar vase or urn has been discovered in the ter- 
 ritory of Vienne, in which the inspissated juice of 
 the wine had crystallized. 
 
 Whatever were the processes employed in Gaul 
 for the preparation of wine, many of its vineyards 
 had acquired reputation, and had, moreover, become
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 289 
 
 a source of wealth. This rising spring of riches was 
 soon dried up by the tyrants who reigned over the 
 country. The year of the Christian era 92 having 
 been unpropitious to corn and favourable to the vine, 
 a general scarcity followed. Domitian, who was then 
 emperor, concluded that the cause of this was, that 
 the vines were too numerous, and corn not sufficiently 
 sown. Proceeding on this false assumption, he pub- 
 lished an edict, by which he ordered that in the 
 greatest part of the provinces of the empire half of the 
 vines should be rooted out, and that in the others they 
 should be entirely destroyed. Towards the year 
 282, Probus abrogated it. After having, by his vic- 
 tories, restored peace to the empire, the wise and 
 valiant emperor, says Aurelius Victor, Eutropius, 
 Vopiscus, and Eusebius, restored to the provinces 
 the liberty of replanting the vine. The Gauls com- 
 menced the task with alacrity. The Roman legions 
 spread abroad in Gaul were employed in these plan- 
 tations, for it was the wise policy of Rome, when her 
 soldiers were not engaged in war, to occupy them in 
 useful public labours. Soon were the greater num- 
 ber of the hills of Gaul covered with vines ; and 
 these were not, as in the times of the two first 
 Caesars, bounded by the north of the Cevennes ; for 
 almost each province, on the contrary, had its vine- 
 yards. 
 
 In the Salique law, as well as in the law of the Visi- 
 goths, penalties are decreed against those who shall 
 
 u
 
 290 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 destroy a cutting of the vine, or who shall steal grapes. 
 The protection which the government accorded to this 
 species of property caused it to be regarded as sacred. 
 Chilperic having decreed that each vine-proprietor 
 should annually furnish him with an amphora of 
 wine for his table, there was, says Aimoin, a revolt 
 in Limousin, and the officer whose duty it was to 
 receive this odious tribute was massacred. So great 
 had the passion for the vine become that the French 
 kings turned a portion of their private domains into 
 vineyards. Each of their palaces had its vineries, 
 with wine-presses and all the utensils necessary 
 for the vintage. From the Capitularies of Charle- 
 magne we learn that the monarch entered into 
 this species of administration in the minutest detail. 
 When, after the death of Louis the Debonnaire, the 
 three sons of that prince, laying down their arms, 
 agreed on the division of his estates, Charles the Bald 
 had Western France ; Lothaire, Eastern France and 
 Italy ; and Louis, that portion which was situated in 
 Germany beyond the Rhine. But as this latter had 
 no vineyards, the Saxon Chronicle and the Chronicle 
 of the monk Sigebert remark that there were joined 
 to his division some towns or villages bevond the 
 
 * 
 
 river which produced wine. The Louvre itself, 
 like the other royal palaces of France, inclosed vine- 
 yards within its precincts. That such vineyards 
 were considerable appears from the fact that in 1160 
 Louis le Jeune could annually assign out of their
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 291 
 
 produce six muids of wine to the curate of St. 
 Nicholas. 
 
 Among the " Fabliaux of the Thirteenth Century," 
 published lay Le Grand, there is one entitled " La 
 Bataille des Vins," in which the author supposes that 
 the King, Philip Augustus, causes to be brought to 
 his table all known wines, national as well as foreign, 
 in order to examine which are worthy of admission. 
 The monarch is in this piece represented as a con- 
 firmed gourmet, and lover of good wine. From an 
 account of the revenues of this king, left us by 
 Brussel, we learn that in the matter of wines Philip 
 loved variety, and wished to have a copious cellar, for 
 he possessed vineyards at Bourges, at Soissons, at 
 Compiegne, at Lan, at Beauvais, at Auxerre, Cor- 
 beil, Betesi, Orleans, Moret, Poissi, Gien, Anet, 
 Chalevanc, Verberies, Fontainbleau, Rurecourt, 
 Milli, Bois Commun, Samoi, and Auvers. Breton, 
 in his Latin poem on Philip, counts the wines of 
 Gascony and La Roehelle among the articles of com- 
 merce which Flanders took of France. The wines 
 of Guyenne were not only sold in Flanders, but in 
 much greater quantity in England. The same poli- 
 tical considerations which induced us to close our 
 ports twenty years ago to French wines unless on the 
 payment of u very considerable import duty, caused 
 us then to open them to the wines of a province sub- 
 ject to English authority. Matthew Paris, speaking 
 of the discontent and bitterness which prevailed in
 
 292 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 Gascony in 1251 against Henry III., states that 
 public opinion was so exasperated, that these pro- 
 vinces would have revolted had they not need of 
 England for the sale of their wine. A fact related 
 by Froissart will give us an idea of the extent of the 
 trade at that time. " In 1372," says this historian, 
 " there arrived from England, at Bordeaux, 209 sail 
 of merchantmen, which came for wine." Champier, 
 who wrote about a century and a half after Froissart, 
 remarks, that from his time England scarcely con- 
 sumed any other wine or corn than that of France, 
 and that, when this commerce was interrupted by 
 war, England experienced a species of famine. tl So 
 that," said he, " France may boast of having in her 
 hands power of producing famine or abundance in 
 England." 
 
 Although the other French provinces had not 
 such advantageous outlets for their commerce as Guy- 
 enne, the vine was, nevertheless, cultivated with an 
 equal success. This may be seen by the " Fabliaux" 
 cited, in which the French wines dispute the prefer- 
 ence with foreign. These effects were solely brought 
 about by the national industry ; the government did 
 nothing to recompense or favour it, and when it did 
 concern itself about the French wine-trade its inter- 
 ference was injurious. The kingdom having experi- 
 enced a scarcity, in consequence of the bad harvest 
 of 1566, Charles IX. wrongly attributed the cause 
 to the too great abundance of vines, and, like Do-
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 293 
 
 mitian, proscribed them. An ordonnance published 
 by him directed that in each canton, or district, the 
 vines should only occupy a third of the ground ; the 
 other two-thirds were to be converted into arable or 
 pasture lands. In 1577 Henry III. modified the 
 ordonnance of the king his brother, recommending 
 to all the officers charged with the government of 
 his provinces to see that the arable land was not left 
 uncultivated to give place to an excessive plantation 
 of the vine. 
 
 The edict published under the reign of Louis XV. 
 was not so foolish as the preceding one. Many in- 
 tendants of provinces having represented that the 
 vines occupied an undue space of lands fitted for corn 
 or pasturage ; that it caused the dearness of wood ; 
 that it multiplied the quantity of wine to such an 
 excess that the value and reputation were in a 
 number of places destroyed ; the king, in 1731, for- 
 bade any new plantation of vines, and directed that 
 vineyards which had ceased to be cultivated for two 
 years should no longer be continued. 
 
 It often happened that proprietors of wines, not 
 being able to get rid of their article, preferred to sell 
 it in retail. In this contingency they suspended to 
 the threshold of their door a broom, a crown of ivy, 
 or something similar. Those who wished to purchase 
 carried a pot with them, and thence came the ex- 
 pression, vendre a pot. Some caused their wine to 
 be announced by the public crier.
 
 294 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 It will appear from what I have written that the 
 attention paid to vine-dressing and the cultivation of 
 the vine was the result of a perfect knowledge of 
 husbandry. 
 
 I have already said that the wines of the ancients 
 were racked and fined, but there seems to have been 
 as much adulteration 1800 years ago as at the pre- 
 sent moment. Adulterations are repeatedly men- 
 tioned in the classic writers. After the wine was 
 made and underwent the secondary fermentation, it 
 was placed in pitched skins, or in earthen vessels, 
 denominated amphorae, containing twenty-seven old 
 English gallons. 
 
 That the ancients understood the process of matur- 
 ing wines perfectly is evident from all the writers 
 on the subject. After the wine was made and put 
 into the vat, where it underwent the secondary fer- 
 mentation, it was placed in pitched skins, closed with 
 a lid of baked earth, and hermetically sealed.* 
 
 It were a curious task to trace how long domestic 
 customs and utensils survive forms of polity and go- 
 vernment. In glancing at such a subject, I merely 
 remark that the amphora have outlived the Roman 
 
 * It would, however, appear that the Romans employed 
 corks : 
 
 " Corticem astrictum pice dimovebit 
 
 Amphorae*" 
 says Horace.
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 295 
 
 emperors, the republic, nay even the Roman nation 
 and people, and all their magnificent institutions. It 
 is impossible now to pass forty-eight hours in the 
 neighbourhood of Asti Montepulciano,Montefiascone, 
 or any of the wine districts of Italy, without being 
 struck with the identity to the amphora of those 
 earthen vessels with two handles, holding from about 
 eighteen to twenty quarts of our measure, which one 
 sees in every cellar, and almost in every street. Sue- 
 tonius tells us of a man who aspired to the quaestor- 
 ship, and drank the contents of a whole amphora at 
 a repast given by the Emperor Tiberius, " Ob epotam 
 in convivo propinante se vini amphoram;" but, though 
 there may be men in Scotland, or Scotchmen in Eng- 
 land, who could carry away so much liquor and be 
 none the worse for it, the capacity of any Englishman 
 to do as much may be doubted. 
 
 The use of casks or wine hogsheads were unknown 
 to the Greeks and Romans.* They could therefore 
 only transport their wines in earthen vessels or skins, 
 which in the older English authors are queerly and 
 alliteratively called " borachio bottles." The earthen 
 vessels presented the inconvenience of being fragile, 
 whilst the skins were subject to bursting, to become 
 
 * Henderson says that in some places where wood abounded, 
 as in the neighbourhood of the Alps and in Illyria, wine casks 
 were made of that material ; but the vessels in general use 
 among the Greeks and Romans were of earthenware. No au- 
 thority is, however, cited by the Doctor for this statement.
 
 296 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 insecure, &c. My late excellent and learned friend 
 Dr. Henderson states, and truly, that the Romans occa- 
 sionally employed glass. They undoubtedly did so ; 
 but the accomplished historian of wines is wrong when 
 he affirms that they brought the manufacture of glass 
 to a great degree of perfection; for nothing, on the 
 contrary, can be more common than those specimens 
 of glass found in Pompeii, and those drinking-cups 
 and lachrymatories, various specimens of which may 
 be seen in the Museo Borbonico at Naples. That 
 glass, however, was used at table in those days ap- 
 pears certain from a passage in which he speaks of 
 those glass magnums or jugs, as being large and 
 closed with a species of plaster or Roman cement. 
 " Adlatse sunt amphora vitreae diligenter gypsatae." 
 He elsewhere says, " Amphoras copiosas gypsatas ne 
 effluat vinum." 
 
 All the Latin authors agree that the ingenious in- 
 vention of casks is due to the Gauls, who established 
 themselves along the banks of the Po ; but we are en- 
 tirely ignorant if the Greeks knew the cooper's art 
 before they left their native country, or if they in- 
 vented casks and hogsheads after their transmigration 
 beyond the Alps. Notwithstanding the incontestable 
 superiority of casks over skins, these latter continued 
 to be still used. That they were much in vogue 
 would appear from one of the capitularies of Charle- 
 magne, in which, glancing at the prevalence of 
 skins, he forbids his people to use any other ves-
 
 On WineSy Ancient and Modern. 297 
 
 sels than good barrels (bonos barridos) hooped with 
 iron. 
 
 At the Roman entertainments there was a particu- 
 lar part of the convivial room set apart for the recep- 
 tion of the wines. Here the various vessels and 
 drinking-cups were ranged on a table called /3a, or 
 abacus. This was generally of marble, in the form 
 of a long square, not unlike the modern sideboard. 
 From the account which Philo Judaeus gives of the 
 number of vessels placed on it, it must have been very 
 large. Pliny, speaking of the rich spoils exhibited 
 by Pompey in the triumph he obtained for his vic- 
 tories over the pirates, says that the number of drink- 
 ing vessels adorned with jewels was sufficient to fur- 
 nish nine abaci : " Triumpho quern de piratis Asia, 
 Ponto, egit, transtulit lectos tridiniares tres; vasa 
 ex auro et gemmis abacorum no vein."* Cicero 
 charges Verres with having plundered the abaci, 
 " Ab hoc iste abaci vasa omnia ut exposita fuerant 
 abstulit," and Dr. Barry, in giving this quotation, 
 misquotes it, " In abacis erant abstulit." These 
 articles of luxury, according to Livy, were imported 
 from Asia first as luxuries, but soon, like all other 
 superfluous ' wants, they became necessaries. The 
 ancients had, like the moderns, servants like our 
 butlers, specially charged with the care of the 
 wine. The office necessarily required judgment and 
 
 * Lib. xxvii., c. 6.
 
 298 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 experience. The head butler is called by Pollux 
 ojj/oTTTJi?. His business was to inspect the wines 
 before and after they had been prepared, and mixed 
 in another apartment. When they were placed on 
 the abacus, he stood there as a modern butler or 
 maitre d* hotel does at our side- boards, and gave his 
 orders to the underlings and slaves. The next in 
 office under the butler was the pinceran or oli/o^oo?, 
 which we should render as the pourer out of wine, or 
 cup-bearer, the word being used in this sense both 
 by Homer and Xenophon. This man received all 
 his directions from the butler, and by him and his 
 acolytes the wines were regularly prepared and dis- 
 tributed to the guests. Of these inferior ministering 
 agents there were many, and of different degrees. It 
 was a part of the luxury of the times to be waited 
 on by beautiful boys, purchased at high prices, who 
 served the master and the superior guests ; but the 
 inferior ones and those of meaner condition were 
 served by African slaves of coarse appearance, woolly- 
 headed, and of most unsavoury odour. Notwithstand- 
 ing the number of servants and slaves, many mistakes 
 unavoidably happened in the mixture of wine. Nor 
 is this wonderful when it is considered that the host 
 and his guests called for wine variously diluted either 
 with hot or cold water, and occasionally for whatever 
 strong wine was agreeable to them. Cicero, describing 
 a supper, alludes to the symposium of Xenophon, 
 where the wines were prepared by hot water and
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 299 
 
 afterwards cooled in snow : " Etpocula sicutin sym- 
 posio Xenophontis minuta atque rorantia et refriger- 
 atio in aestate, et vicissim aut sol, aut ignis hiber- 
 nus." Of the quantity of wine drank on these occa- 
 sions we have no very certain account. Pliny says 
 that Democritus wrote a volume to prove that no one 
 ought to exceed the fourth or sixth glass; but in- 
 stances have been given of persons who have drunk a 
 congius or gallon in one draught. 
 
 There are many who think that the cooling of wine 
 by snow is a modern invention ; but that this system 
 was perfectly known to the Greeks and Romans, as 
 I before observed, is sufficiently evident. The ves- 
 sels which contained the wine mixed with boiled 
 water were immersed in the snow, and such wine is 
 particularly distinguished by Martial. This inven- 
 tion is ascribed by Pliny to Nero, who prided him- 
 self more on this improvement in luxury than Au- 
 gustus did in encouraging the fine arts. 
 
 It was a common practice at the convivial meetings 
 of the Greeks and Romans to drink, not only to the 
 healths of distinguished individuals, but to the absent 
 friends and mistresses of the guests. The greater or 
 less number of cups afforded an indication of the 
 respect in which the person whose health was toasted 
 was held. The numerous coincidences which exist 
 between the convivial customs of past ages and the 
 present are thus succinctly summed up by Dr. 
 Henderson : " If we compare the ceremonies and
 
 300 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 usages of the Romans with the convivial customs of 
 the present day, we cannot but be struck with the 
 numerous coincidences which subsist between them. 
 The arrangements of our dinners, the succession and 
 composition of the different courses, the manner of 
 filling our glasses, of pledging our friends, and of 
 drinking particular healths, are all evidently copied 
 from the Greeks and Romans.* With another 
 modern nation, however, which has been thought to 
 resemble the ancient Greeks in character, the analogy 
 is still more complete. Thus, at all entertainments 
 among the French, the ordinary wine is used with a 
 large admixture of water, generally in the proportion 
 of one to three, except immediately after soup, when 
 it is drunk pure. The finer kinds are circulated in 
 the intervals between the courses, or towards the end 
 of the repast, and hence are termed vins d'entremets ; 
 but with particular dishes certain wines are served, 
 as chablis with oysters, and sillery after roast meat. 
 The coup-d'avant of vermuth has been already noticed 
 as corresponding with the draught of mulsum ; and 
 the coup du milieu, which consists of some liqueur, 
 ( quod fluentem nauseam coerceat,' may be regarded 
 as identical with the cup of sweet wine handed 
 round in the middle of a Grecian feast. With 
 
 * These customs are now (1864) exploded in London 
 society, and only exist on circuit, at regimental messes, or at 
 public dinners.
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 301 
 
 dessert the luscious sweet wines are always intro- 
 duced." 
 
 The doctor makes a slight mistake in regarding 
 the coup du milieu as identical with the cup of Greek 
 sweet wine. The coup, which was drunk immedi- 
 ately after the roast, consisted, and still consists, of a 
 bitter or spirituous, or sometimes a bitter and spiritu- 
 ous cordial (and not of a sweet wine), taken as a 
 stomachic. It is swallowed, according to the " Manuel 
 des Amphitryons," to give tone to the fibres of the 
 stomach, and " pour accelerer le mouvement peristal- 
 tique qui produit la digestion." The Swiss extract 
 of wormwood, Jamaica rum, or very old cognac, is 
 used for the purpose. It is to the city of Bordeaux, 
 so dear to gourmands and gourmets, that this invention 
 is due. It is a trait of genius, says the author of the 
 " Almanach des Gourmands," which enables one to 
 make a second dinner, and which doubles the power 
 and capacity of the weakest stomachs. Between 
 the roast and the entremets i.e., towards the middle of 
 the dinner, you see at Bordeaux the doors of the 
 dining-room open, when a girl about eighteen, tall, 
 fair, and well-proportioned, her features beaming 
 with an air of engaging alluringness, appears. Her 
 sleeves are turned up to the very shoulders, and she 
 holds in one hand a mahogany frame, in which are 
 ranged as many small glasses as there are guests; and 
 in the other a crystal decanter filled with Jamaica 
 rum, or wormwood, or vermuth, though this latter
 
 302 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 beverage more properly belongs to the coup-savant. 
 Thus armed the Hebe makes the round of the table, 
 and pours out to each guest a glass of the bitter 
 nectar it is her business to distribute. The effect of 
 the coup du milieu is stated to be almost magical in 
 renewing the appetite, but on what principle it pro- 
 duces this result physicians must determine. The 
 coup-cFavant is little practised in Paris, though 
 greatly used in Russia, Sweden, and the north of 
 Germany. It consists of a large glass of vermuth, 
 or of simple brandy, which is presented to each of 
 the guests by way of appetiser. Physicians differ in 
 opinion as to the virtues of the coup-d'avant: it is 
 said rather to dispose the stomach to digestion ; but, 
 be this as it may, the Russian stomachs, where the 
 coup-d'avant is so much practised, are far more vigor- 
 ous than the English or French. It may be that 
 from the effects of the climate some such stimulant 
 is required. The coup-d'apres consists, as Dr. Hen- 
 derson states, of half a glass of pure wine taken 
 immediately after the soup. This is considered so 
 salutary a practice, that it is proverbially said to take 
 a crown out of the pocket of the physician. The 
 wine offered for the coup-d'apres in France is gene- 
 rally a good Beaune or Macon ; whilst in England it 
 is commonly sherry or Madeira. In any event it 
 should be a good sound wine ; for the palate, at that 
 early stage of a dinner, is most sensible to taste and 
 flavour.
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 303 
 
 As to the wine-cellars of the ancients, we know 
 little certain. Vitruvius directs that they should 
 have a northern aspect, that the doors and windows 
 should be placed in the same direction, that the doors 
 should be small and seldom opened, and then to 
 renew, not to alter, the temperature of the air. Care 
 was also taken that the cellar should not be near a 
 dung-heap, nor roots of trees, nor vegetables, nor 
 anything fetid; and it was also as far removed as 
 possible from the vicinage of baths, ovens, sewers, 
 cisterns, and reservoirs. "Women were also strictly 
 forbidden to enter within the cellar walls. Barry 
 would have it that the Greeks and Romans had 
 extended vaults under ground, but against this theory 
 Henderson cites Panoirollus, who is of opinion that 
 the ancients were not in the practice of having re- 
 positories of wine under ground like our modern 
 cellars. That their repositories for wine must have 
 been extensive there is no doubt, for it is stated that 
 Hortensius bequeathed to his heirs 10,000 cadi of 
 wine, about 410 tons of our measure. From the 
 rules of the ancients, and the principles laid down, 
 Barry properly points out certain defects in our 
 modern wine-cellars in the following passages : 
 
 " The size of the cellar ought to be in proportion 
 to the quantity of wine for which it is designed ; and 
 it is more easy to defend a small cellar from the 
 admission of a greater quantity of the external air, 
 and to renew it occasionally, than one of a larger
 
 304 On Wines., Ancient and Modern. 
 
 size. The situation ought to be low and dry ; there- 
 fore, not on any great declivity, where the under- 
 currents from the superior ground must always keep 
 it moist, and infect the air with its putrid exhalations ; 
 this communication, however, may be prevented by 
 intermediate trenches. 
 
 " A small anti-cellar built before all large cellars 
 would be a considerable defence and improvement to 
 them, in which a quantity of wine sufficient for a 
 few days may be kept, and the necessity prevented 
 of more frequently opening the large cellar, and 
 admitting the external air, which must always in 
 some degree alter the temperature of it, and in sud- 
 den or continued great heats or frosts, may be par- 
 ticularly injurious to the wine. 
 
 "It isusual to cover the bottles in the bins with saw- 
 dust, to which I should prefer dry sand, the density 
 of which is much greater. I saw a remarkable instance 
 of the benefit arising from an intermediate defence of 
 this kind. A hogshead of claret, which had been 
 lately bottled, was heaped up in a corner of a mer- 
 chant's common large cellar, with a view of removing 
 it soon to the wine-cellar. In the meantime a load 
 of salt, from the want of a more convenient place, 
 was thrown on the bottles, and remained there several 
 months before it was removed. This wine was 
 afterwards found to be much superior to the wine of 
 the same growth, which had been imported and 
 bottled about the same time, and had been immedi-
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 305 
 
 ately placed in the wine-cellar. The large quantity 
 of salt formed a compact vault over the bottles, which 
 entirely defended the wine from the influence of the 
 air, though greatly exposed to it ; and probably the 
 coldness of the salt contributed to this improvement. 
 
 " The ancients certainly more effectually preserved 
 their wine in larger earthen vessels, pitched exter- 
 nally, than we can in our bottles, as they are more 
 capable, from their superior density and capacity, of 
 resisting the frequent changes in the air ; and it is a 
 common observation, that the wine received into 
 bottles which contain two quarts proves better than 
 that which has been kept in single quarts." 
 
 Of the truth of this latter remark there can be no 
 doubt, as any who have tasted a pint and a quart 
 bottle of wine out of the same hogshead will freely 
 admit. 
 
 It is no doubt true that many of the usages adopted 
 by the ancients for preserving and mellowing their 
 wines have fallen into disrepute ; but their rules for 
 the site and construction of a wine-cellar some of 
 which I have quoted their observations on the 
 proper time for tasting and racking wines, are still 
 sanctioned by modern practice. 
 
 Wine of a middle age was then, according to Pliny, 
 as indeed it now is, to be preferred, as being the 
 most wholesome and grateful ; but then in ancient 
 times it was the fashion, as it is in our own day, to 
 place the greatest value on what was rarest. Thus 
 
 x
 
 306 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 extravagant sums were given for wines not drinkable, 
 or in a state of decomposition. Who does not know 
 that within the past forty years twelve guineas a 
 dozen was given for Mr. Pattle's sherry, and half as 
 much for some sherry once the property of the late 
 Sir John Leach, Vice-Chancellor. 
 
 Though the ancients often drank very freely, yet 
 no one was obliged to drink on compulsion. The 
 doors were never locked, as they were fifty years ago 
 in Ireland, five and fifty years ago in Scotland, or 
 little more than half a century ago in England. 
 Large cups and more generous wines were frequently 
 brought in, but no one was obliged to drink or to 
 stay. If the guest did not drink on he departed, 
 according to the old convivial rule, " Aut bibe, aut 
 abi." Some of the wisest sages of antiquity were as 
 great sponges as some of the modern Scots. For 
 instance, Socrates, whether he lived abstemiously or 
 drank copiously, was equally unexcited, equally un- 
 altered; and the very same remark might be made 
 on a remarkable man lately deceased. Cyrus, among 
 other reasons which he urges why he should gain the 
 crown in preference to his elder brother, insists on 
 his being able to drink a larger quantity of wine 
 without being inebriated ; for Artaxerxes was not only 
 occasionally subject to getting "right royal," vulgo 
 vocato, drunk, but also to the infirmity of losing 
 his temper to boot. Athenaeus mentions that Da- 
 rius desired no greater encomium should be en-
 
 On H'ines, Ancient and Modern. 307 
 
 graved on his tomb than that he was able to 
 drink a great quantity of wine without being ine- 
 briated. 
 
 In his third book, the Father of Medicine gives a 
 description of the general qualities and strength of 
 the Greek wines, and of the peculiar medical virtues 
 which they possessed. He likewise points out in 
 what diseases, and in what quantities, they are to be 
 used, so as to render them salutary and innoxious. 
 It is remarkable that Hippocrates rarely directs 
 water alone, but almost invariably orders its exhibi- 
 tion with wine, or combined with honey and vinegar. 
 Water was no doubt the basis of all his cooling 
 drinks; but there was always added to it a moderate 
 proportion of the weak white wines, to render it 
 more effectually diluting. To the infirm and valetu- 
 dinarian, wine is a necessary comfort beyond all price. 
 When a patient has been long habituated to the use 
 of it, a change in diet cannot be suffered without 
 danger. 
 
 There is a remarkable instance of this afforded in 
 the case of the celebrated physician Cornaro, who 
 always revived just after the vintage, when he left 
 off the old and decaying wines of the last vintage, 
 and commenced drinking the new. The passage is 
 in the account which he gives of the rules by which 
 he repaired his constitution, injured as it was by 
 excesses, till the period when he was forty years old. 
 By the regime he prescribed to himself, it is well
 
 308 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 known he preserved his health and spirits to the age 
 of 100. The efficacy of his system depended on his 
 taking a certain quantity of solids and fluids every 
 day. The fluid consisted entirely of wine, but he 
 gradually diminished the quantity of each as he 
 advanced in years. During this period he enjoyed 
 an equal state of health, except that sometimes, 
 before the vintage returned and the new wine was 
 made, he quickly became so weak and languid that 
 his physicians declared he could not possibly continue 
 to survive many days in that declining state. " But 
 on the return of the vintage," says he, "and on 
 taking the same quantity of new wine, I very quickly 
 recovered my usual strength and spirits." The same 
 effect is observed, to compare animals with men, 
 among the mules of Jamaica. When the new sugar- 
 canes are being gathered in, the most exhausted 
 animal, fed on the fresh sugar-canes, gains a revival 
 of strength. 
 
 The Romans were in the habit of pitching their 
 wine, nor can it be doubted that the Gauls also fol- 
 lowed their example in this respect, with a view to 
 render them more saleable in the Italian markets. 
 The Allobroges had a peculiar pitch, with which they 
 smeared their puncheons, after the manner of the 
 wine-growers of Latium. Many etymologists suggest 
 that the French \vordpoingon, adopted in many of thfe 
 French provinces to signify a puncheon common to 
 them, is derived from the vas piceum, of which it is
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 309 
 
 an abbreviation.* These, however, are but conjec- 
 tures, and why should we resort to conjectures in the 
 face of formal proof? Such were the two charters 
 of Charles the Bald in favour of the monasteries of 
 St. Denis and St. Germain des Pres. By the first 
 (A.D. 862), the emperor makes an annual grant to 
 the abbey of ten silver livres, for the purchase of the 
 necessary pitch for casks; by the second he grants 
 to the other convent twenty pounds of soap and of 
 pitch, " ad vasa vinaria componenda." The soap, of 
 which a grant is here made with the pitch, leads me 
 to infer that there were persons who, not content 
 with laying a coat of pitch on their casks, composed 
 a peculiar mastic in mixing the soap and some other 
 substance with the pitch, after the manner of the 
 Romans. 
 
 Strabo, in giving a description of Latium (the 
 modern Lombardy), and an idea of the abundance of 
 its vines, says that the puncheons were taller than 
 the houses. It is probable that the Gauls estab- 
 lished in these parts, or their descendants, seeing 
 that the ordinary casks were insufficient, or that 
 
 * " Un poin<;on de vin, d'huile, &c. Dolium vel doliolum. Le 
 poinqon est la moitic d'un tonneau d'Orleans, ou d'Anjou. C'est 
 un nom qu'on donne en Blasois et en Touraine au muid de 
 vin. A Rouen le poinqon contient treize boisseaux. C'est 
 a Paris la meme chose qu'une demi-gueue. On dit, Voici ven- 
 dangcs, il faut acheter des poiiujons, faire relier nos poinqons, 
 en parlant de toutes sortes de futailles et de vaisseaux." Dic- 
 tionnaire de Trevonx.
 
 310 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 there was not cellar-room for them, invented those 
 monster puncheons of which the geographer speaks, 
 and which were long ago, and are now, in common 
 use in Germany. But the French, for the most 
 part, in lieu of these not very solid vessels, preferred 
 to construct their wine-tubs or vats, in brick or in 
 stone. De Serres states that, even so late as 1600, 
 many persons thus constructed their vats. It is true, 
 he says, the wine took a longer time to ferment in 
 these receptacles than in wooden tubs; but they 
 were most easily cleaned, contracted no bad taste, 
 lasted longer, and required little or no outlay to keep 
 them in repair. But though these cisterns might be 
 serviceable to the proprietor as a repository for his 
 wine, he was obliged, when he sold it, to have re- 
 course to casks or skins. The skins, notwithstanding 
 the many inconveniences they presented, were long 
 used for that purpose. I have before stated that 
 Charlemagne forbade them in the cellars of his palace. 
 Pierre de Blois, declaiming, in the twelfth century, 
 against the luxury of the chevaliers, represents them 
 as leading horses laden with skins of wine, and all 
 the " creature comforts " that announce gluttony and 
 drunkenness : " Non ferro, sed vino ; non lanceis, 
 sed caseis ; non ensibus, sed utribus ; non hastis, sed 
 verubus onerantur." 
 
 At the repast which Philippe de Valois gave to 
 the kings of Scotland, of Majorca, and of Bohemia, 
 there was on the royal dresser (le dressour royal) no
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern, 311 
 
 plate of gold or silver, but only a leathern bottle, in 
 which was the wine of the princes and kings who 
 sat at the festal board. In order to understand this 
 passage, which is extracted from a very old work, it 
 is necessary to mention that, in the time of Philip, 
 there were no bottles, nor were they known for 
 many years afterwards. Wine, at this epoch, in the 
 royal establishment as elsewhere, was drunk from the 
 cask. If many sorts were given at an entertainment, 
 as often happened on occasions of great ceremony 
 in that event many casks were tapped, and the re- 
 mains of all belonged to the grand bouteiller. Tra- 
 vellers on horseback, who were apprehensive of not 
 finding wine on the road, carried with them a species 
 of leathern bottle attached to the saddle. In the " Life 
 of St. Maur "we read that, travelling to visit one of 
 the farms of his monastery, he saw suddenly arrive 
 Ansgaire, archdeacon of the church of Angers. The 
 holy abbe wished to refresh him. Unfortunately, 
 there was no other wine at the farmer's than the little 
 which remained attached to the saddle-bow of St. 
 Maur, " in uno parvissimo vasculo quod ad sellam 
 pendere consuerit." But the holy man, says the his- 
 torian, supplied the deficiency by a miracle, and mul- 
 tiplied this remains of the liquor so exceedingly, that 
 it sufficed to quench the thirst of seventy-eight per- 
 sons who were there present. 
 
 In the thirteenth century the vessels of which I 
 have been speaking were called bouchaus, boutiaux,
 
 312 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 bouties, or boutilles. When the gentry of that day 
 wished to make a long journey, or were on their way 
 to the wars, they took bottles with them of consider- 
 able capacity. It appears, by an early charter, that 
 when the Bishop of Amiens marched thus in the 
 arriere ban, the tanners of the city were obliged to 
 furnish him with two good and sufficient leather 
 bottles, one holding a muid and the other twenty- 
 four setiers of wine. The butchers were, on their part, 
 bound to furnish the grease to cover these bottles. 
 If cover means to cork, as the sense would seem to in- 
 dicate, it was certainly a strange process to seal a can- 
 teen destined for the keeping and transport of wine. 
 These boutiaux, or boutillcs, took the name of bou- 
 teilles, or bottles. This name was afterwards applied 
 to the decanters which were subsequently used. On 
 the first indication of madness presented by Charles 
 VI., on his journey to Brittany, the officers of his 
 household, who had preceded him, served him with 
 drink ; and being suspected of having poisoned him, 
 the Duke of Burgundy, who accompanied them, 
 caused them to undergo an interrogatory : but they 
 protested their innocence, says Froissart, and offered 
 to prove it, as there remained in the bottles a portion 
 of the wine of which the king had drunk. There 
 can be no doubt that the bottles here spoken of were 
 made of leather. 
 
 It now remains for me to touch on those wines which 
 have enjoyed the greatest reputation, from the con-
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 313 
 
 quest of the Franks to the present time. The earlier 
 writers offer little on this subject. Gregory of Tours 
 speaks of the wines of Ma9on, Orleans, Cahors, and 
 Dijon. The wines of Auvergne are spoken of in a 
 " Life of St. Germain," written in verse by Heric, 
 who lived under Charles the Bald ; and there is men- 
 tion of those of Rheims and of the River Marne, in 
 a letter of Pandulus, Bishop of Lan, to Hircanar. 
 Baldric, or Baudri, author of a Latin poem which 
 Mabillon has cited in the " Benedictine Annals," says 
 that Henry I. greatly esteemed the wine of Rebre- 
 chien (area Bacchi), near Orleans, and that when he 
 went to the army he took a provision with him to 
 animate his courage. There is a letter of Louis le 
 Jeune, written from the Holy Land to Suger and to 
 the Comte de Vermandois, regents of the kingdom 
 in his absence, by which he directs them to give to 
 his intimate friend, Arnould, Bishop of Lisieux, sixty 
 modii of his excellent wine of Orleans. " Dilecto et 
 praecordiali amico, Lexoviensi Episcopo, sexaginta 
 Aurelianenses modios de meo optimo vino Aurelian- 
 ensi dare non reanatis." It is probable that this 
 wine of Orleans was the wine called Rebrechien. It 
 is said that the greater number of the Orleanais are 
 one-eyed, lame, and hump-backed, which is attri- 
 buted by some, most inconsequentially, to the wine 
 of Orleans. 
 
 A fabliau of the twelfth century has come down 
 to us which gives us a list of the best reputed wines of
 
 314 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 that day. Among the wines of the provinces the 
 poet vaunts those of the Gatinias, d'Auxois, d'Anjou, 
 and of Provence. Over the list of the particularly 
 celebrated wines we will not now travel. Suffice it to 
 say, that Burgundy was then renowned for its wine of 
 Auxerre, Beaune, Beauvoisins, Flavigni, and Ver- 
 raanton ; Champagne for its Chabli (not Chablis, the 
 Burgundy wine of the department of the Yonne), 
 Epernai, Rheims, Hauvilliers, Sezanne, Tonnerre. 
 
 This production represents the Beaune wine of a 
 yellow colour, inclining to the shade of an ox's horn. 
 It is very difficult to have a precise idea of such a 
 colour. When the popes in the thirteenth century 
 transported their pontificial chair to Avignon, the 
 table of their holinesses, and of all their principal 
 officers, were furnished with wine from the monastery 
 of Cluni. This was probably a wine of Beaune ; 
 for Petrarch, writing in 1366 to Urban V. to engage 
 him to come to Rome, and combatting the different 
 reasons which retained the cardinals beyond the 
 mountains, says, "I have heard it sometimes alleged 
 that there was no Beaune wine in Italy. When, in 
 1510, the ambassadors sent by the Emperor Maximilian 
 to Louis XII., travelled across France to find the 
 prince at Tours, where he was, the queen, on their 
 passage through Blois, sent them fresh sea-fish, with 
 three barrels of old wine of Beaune and Orleans." 
 
 There is a great deal of fashion and caprice in the 
 rise and fall of wines. The reputation of different
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 315 
 
 vintages may be compared to the characters of certain 
 men. To rise above the crowd, it does not alone 
 suffice to be possessed of real merit. Sometimes 
 favourable circumstances or a happy chance is needed, 
 which is more often sought than found. It has hap- 
 pened to us all to have drunk in a remote spot deli- 
 cious wines, which only needed the recommendation 
 of a consummate gourmet to obtain instantaneous 
 vogue. It may also occasionally chance that a vine- 
 yard which, for a long time had but an indifferent 
 reputation, may, by the industry of a new proprietor, 
 by peculiar processes of making the wine, or by a 
 better cultivation of the grape, become more perfect 
 than it had been before. There are hundreds of ex- 
 amples of this, of which one may be cited. Who 
 does not know that the wine of Romance, so famed 
 for more than a century (the estate on which it grows 
 has since been purchased by the Prince of Conti), 
 owes its celebrity to a Sieur de Cromanbourg, a 
 German officer in the service of France, who, having 
 married the heiress of this vineyard, rendered it at 
 length one of the first in Burgundy. In each cen- 
 tury some of the wines of the preceding fall in re- 
 pute, and new vintages arise to take their place. 
 Eustace des Champs (who died about 1420), in the 
 numerous poetical MSS. which he has left, cites the 
 vines of Burgundy, Gascony, La Rochelle, Chabli, 
 St. Pourcain, Beaune, and Orleans, which had been 
 already cited by authors anterior to him ; but he also
 
 316 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 mentions the names of many new wines, " A'i, Aus- 
 sone, Cumieres, Dameri, Germoles, Givri, Gonesse, 
 Iranci, Mantes, Pinos, Tournus, Troy, and Verlus." 
 It was said more than seventy years ago that the wine 
 of France which best bears transport is the wine f 
 Mantes ; and, in confirmation of this fact, a French 
 traveller of the sixteenth century is cited, who car- 
 ried some of this wine to Persia without its being in 
 the least injured. If this fact be true, it is not un- 
 exampled nor peculiar to the wine of Mantes. 
 
 It appears that, in the fifteenth century, Burgundy 
 and Champagne disputed the palm among the wines 
 of France. If Burgundy had its Beaune, Champagne 
 had its A'i. These two wines were counted among 
 the best in France. " This last," says Patin, " is the 
 wine that Baudius called Vinum Dei at the house of 
 De Thou." Paumier, in his " Treatise on Wine," 
 written in 1588, says it was the ordinary beverage of 
 kings and princes. It is certainly true that Leo X., 
 Charles V., Francis I., and Henry VIII. had each a 
 vineyard in Champagne ; and St. Evremond alludes 
 to the circumstance in a letter to the Duke d'Olonne. 
 Burgundy was, at this period, considered the whole- 
 somest, the most cordial, and the most generous of 
 wines. Erasmus, being tormented with nephritic 
 pains, which he attributed to the harsh and bitter 
 wines of the Rhine, took to drinking burgundy exclu- 
 sively, and soon became perfectly restored. " Sic 
 enim subito recreatus est stomachus," says he, " ut
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 317 
 
 mihi viderer renatus in alium hominem." He has 
 left us, in one of his letters, the praise of a liquor to 
 which he was indebted for health. " Happy pro- 
 vince ! " he exclaims : " well may Burgundy be called 
 the mother of man, suckling him with such milk ! " 
 He who first taught the art of making this wine 
 ought to be considered, not merely as having grati- 
 fied us with a new liquor, but as having given to us 
 new life. 
 
 Champier makes a remark, which is truer now 
 than it was in the sixteenth century, namely, that 
 there was no country on earth which had such excel- 
 lent, or a variety of such admirable wines, as France. 
 He counts among this number the wine of Arbois and 
 the muscat of Languedoc ; and tells us that, in Ar- 
 bois and Hainault, there was a demand for Beaune 
 wine, but that the remaining portion of Flanders 
 preferred the wines of Orleans. Beaujeau vaunts 
 the wines of La Crau ; and Rabelais those of Aux- 
 erre, Mirevaux, Migraine, Canteperdrix, and Fron- 
 tignan. At the repast which the King of France 
 gave, in 1602, to the Swiss ambassadors, Canteper- 
 drix wine was served. Madame de Noyer (in her 
 " Lettres Historiques et Galantes ") says that this 
 may well be called the wine of the gods, since it was 
 sent to Rome for the private drinking of the holy 
 father. There is no such wine as Canteperdrix 
 known, in the present day, by that special desig- 
 nation. It is now called the vin de Beaucaire,
 
 318 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 and is a red wine of Languedoc. As to the wine 
 of Arbois, it was the favourite beverage of Henry 
 IV., as we learn from an anecdote related in Sully. 
 When the Duke of Mayenne had laid down his 
 arms, and treated with Henry IV., the king, in 
 order to fix the fidelity of his vassal, gave him two 
 bottles of Arbois wine. " Car," said the lively, 
 good-hearted monarch, "je pense, mon cousin, que 
 vous ne le ha'issez pas." When Sully, being crea- 
 ted duke and peer, gave a grand repast on the day 
 of his reception, the king surprised him by ap- 
 pearing among the number of the guests. " But," 
 says the duke, " as he was hungry, and they were 
 dilatory in serving the dinner, he ate, in the inter- 
 val, some oysters, which he washed down with wine 
 of Arbois." And a good preparation for a dinner 
 it was. 
 
 Paumier, a Norman physician, has written a trea- 
 tise on wines, in which he counts four different co- 
 lours, white, red, blackish, and ceil de perdrix, i.e., 
 reddish. He says that France then produced no red 
 wine which was sweet, excepting in the Bordelais, in 
 which district there were red and black wines of great 
 sweetness. His description of the wines of Gascony 
 is, that they were hot, vinous, easy of digestion, and 
 of a red or partridge-eyed colour. This description, 
 in two particulars holds good to the letter to the 
 present day. These wines are still vinous and easy 
 of digestion, but they are not hot, nor are they gener-
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 319 
 
 ally of a partridge-colour until they are old, and in 
 a state bordering on decomposition. The doctor fur- 
 ther states that the wines of Chateau Thierry were 
 agreeable, but so dangerous, that the greater part of 
 the inhabitants were afflicted with the gout from 
 their tender infancy, and died before they attained 
 the ordinary age. 
 
 Chateau Thierry is on the borders of Champagne, 
 and, whatever may have been the case in the time of 
 Paumier, in the sixteenth century, it is certainly not 
 true in the nineteenth that the inhabitants have the 
 gout from their earliest years, or that they die so pre- 
 maturely. But their wine is still good. " The red 
 wine of the Clos de St. Thierry, a league from 
 Rheims, is of a quality between burgundy and cham- 
 pagne, and is very highly esteemed by the connois- 
 sieur" The idea of having the gout prematurely is 
 preposterous. The gout is a disease scarcely known 
 in Champagne ; and, if it be very common in Eng- 
 land, as must be admitted, after occasional excesses, 
 it does not arise from the drinking of champagne 
 solely, to which it is most frequently attributed, but 
 from the mixture of a variety of wines, champagne 
 among the number. 
 
 Baccius, in his treatise " De Viniis," printed at 
 Rome in 1596, has a chapter on the wines of France. 
 He praises the wines of Aries, Beziers, Bordeaux, 
 Frontignan, Gaillac, and St. Laurent. Nor does 
 he omit the wines of Avignon, which arrived in
 
 320 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 small barrels, hooped with iron ; the white wines 
 which sparkle out of the glass, and which please the 
 smell as much as the taste (probably he means cham- 
 pagne) ; and the wines of Paris, which yield the 
 palm to none in the kingdom. What Paumier says 
 of the wines of Paris will appear, at present, very 
 strange. The contempt with which the wines of the 
 neighbourhood of the metropolis of France are at 
 present treated will appear the more extraordinary 
 when it is known that they enjoyed, for fourteen 
 centuries previously, the highest reputation. 
 
 Liebaut praises, in a bad poem, written in 1605, 
 the wines of Ruel and Surenne; and the Abbe de 
 Marolles those of Surenne, Argenteuil, and St. Cloud ; 
 " which," says he, " are pure, and not unwholesome." 
 Paumier is endless in his praises of the wines of 
 Paris, which have not the inconvenience of drying 
 up the blood, like those of Gascony ; do not fly to 
 the head, like those of Chateau Thierry and Orleans ; 
 and do not occasion obstructions and humours, like 
 those of Bordeaux. According to him, burgundy, 
 when it has lost its roughness, and is in its best state, 
 may be alone compared to the wine of the environs 
 of Paris. Patin, writing in 1669, says, " Long live 
 the bread of Gonesse, with the good wine of Paris, 
 Burgundy, and Champagne !" Chaulieu, in a piece 
 of poetry written in 1702, represents his friend, the 
 Marquis de la Fare, as going often to Surenne to drink 
 the wine:
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 321 
 
 " Et Ton m'ecrit qu' a Surenne, 
 
 Au cabaret on a vu 
 La Fare et la bon Silene, 
 
 Qui pour en avoir trop bu, 
 Retrouvoient la porte a peine, 
 
 D'un lieu qu'ils ont tant connu." 
 
 These wines are now all forgotten, and, with the 
 exception of the vin de Condrieux, exist no longer. 
 Who could have imagined this a century ago ? and 
 how " has it come to pass ? " May it not have been, 
 as Le Grand d'Aussy suggests, that the proprietors, 
 blinded by the bait of a sure and speedy sale, which 
 the proximity of the capital afforded, were guilty of 
 the imprudence of neglecting the proper cultivation 
 of the vines, or chose plants of an inferior quality. 
 It was remarked, more than two centuries ago, that 
 the reputation of the Orleans wines was owing to the 
 manner of making them. It appears that the in- 
 habitants of Orleans, like wise and sensible men, 
 confined themselves to that object alone, making it 
 their only occupation. Over the minutest details 
 they exercised supervision and control ; whereas 
 the Lyonnais and the Parisians purchased a wine 
 estate, rather as a showy bauble than as a matter of 
 commerce, and completely surrendered the manage- 
 ment to paid agents. " Whence comes it," says Lie- 
 baut, " that you rarely hear a native of Orleans or a 
 Bourguignon complain of his vines, whilst the com- 
 plaints of a Parisian are iteratively urged ? " The 
 
 Y
 
 322 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 reason is that one occupies himself personally in the 
 matter, whilst the other trusts to an ignorant or 
 knavish vine-dresser. 
 
 To Francis I., and the grandees of his court, 
 Champier attributes the discredit into which the 
 wines of the neighbourhood of Paris had commenced 
 to fall. " These personages," says he, " having had 
 their taste blunted by good cheer, found the Parisian 
 wines poor and weak. They, therefore, fell on the 
 strong and vigorous wines of the south of France, 
 which they obtained at considerable cost." 
 
 The Auvernat wine of Orleans, so praised by the 
 Abbe de Marolles, is thu's severely treated by Boi- 
 leau, 
 
 " Un laquais effronte m'apporte un rouge bord 
 D'un Auvernat fumeux, qui mele de lignage ; 
 Se vendoit chez creuet pour vin de 1'hermitage ; 
 Et qui rouge et vermeil, mais fade et doucereux, 
 N'avoit rien qu'on gout plat, et qu'un deboire affreux." 
 
 The first time I find mention of a vin de Grave is 
 towards the year 1550. If we are to judge from the 
 testimony of Madame de Sevigne, it was indifferently 
 esteemed in her day. In speaking of M. de Lavar- 
 din, who is stated by St. Evremont to have been 
 Bishop of Metz, she says, " C'est un gros merite qui 
 ressemble au vin de Grave." The district of Graves 
 yields from 1000 to 1500 tuns, generally of a lively 
 and brilliant colour, with more body than the vines 
 of Medoc, but less bouquet, raciness, and fineness.
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 323 
 
 The Graves are so termed from the nature of the 
 soil which produces them. Formerly the appellation 
 was confined to the white sorts ; but it now compre- 
 hends the red as well as white wines which grow on 
 the gravelly lands to the south-east and south-west 
 of Bordeaux. The Haut-Brion ranks highest amongst 
 the red wines, and approaches in quality to some of 
 the better sorts of Burgundy ; but it wants the fine 
 perfume by which the Medoc wines are distinguished. 
 
 The vins de Grave are an excellent table wine, and 
 very proper to be taken with oysters, if Chablis can- 
 not be obtained. But little mention is made of the 
 Hermitage wine till the seventeenth century. But if 
 its reputation was tardy, it was at least brilliant. As 
 soon as it became known at the court, it was placed 
 in the first rank of wines. " The king," wrote Patin, 
 in 1666, "has made a present to the King of Eng- 
 land of 200 muids of very good wine of Champagne, 
 Burgundy, and Hermitage." Boileau, soon afterwards, 
 speaks of it as a wine of first quality. The best 
 white Hermitage I ever drank was a parcel purchased 
 at the sale of the late Marquis of Londonderry's 
 wines in St. James's Square, after the death of 
 Emily, Marchioness of Londonderry, in 1828. It 
 was really exquisite, a perfect liqueur in its way. 
 
 " Hermitage wine is divided into five classes. It is 
 styled by the French the richest coloured in their 
 great variety of wines, but it differs much with the 
 seasons as to quality. Red Hermitage will not keep
 
 324 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 more than twenty years without altering. The price 
 of the first class is often as high as 550 francs the 
 piece of 210 litres. The other growths or classes 
 sell from 450 down to 300, and even as low as 250 
 francs the piece. When the season is bad, and the 
 wine of moderate quality, the wine of the first growth 
 will not bring more than 250, and of the last, 120 
 francs. 
 
 " Red Hermitage, when it is of the first quality, is 
 not bottled for exportation until it has been four or 
 five years in the cask, in which, as well as in bottles, 
 it is generally sold at that age. The price, in the 
 former case is high, even if the quality be moderate. 
 
 " The white Hermitage is made of white grapes only, 
 and divided into three growths. This is the finest 
 white wine France produces. Its colour should be 
 straw-yellow ; its odour is like that of no other known 
 wine. It is of a rich taste, between that of the dry 
 and luscious wines. It is often in a state of fermen- 
 tation for two years, but it is never delivered to the 
 consumer, if it can be avoided, until fermentation is 
 complete. The quantity of real white Hermitage does 
 not exceed 120 pieces annually." 
 
 The reputation acquired by the Burgundy wines 
 was due to an accidental circumstance. Louis XIV. 
 having fallen ill, the physicians advised him the vin 
 de Nuits as the most pectoral and proper to re-establish 
 his health ; and thence the reputation which this class 
 of wine has ever since enjoyed. The memoir of the
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 325 
 
 Intendant of Burgundy tells us that the wines of 
 Tonnerre were, in 1698, very much sought after by 
 the Flemish. The vin de Tonnerre is fine, full- 
 flavoured wine, of great body, and very suitable to a 
 damp, cold climate. It is not unlike first-rate old 
 port, but far superior in bouquet and fragrancy. The 
 finest ever drank by me was at the chateau of the 
 Marquis de Louvois, at Ancy-le-France, and had 
 been grown on his own estate. 
 
 The Abbe de Marolles, in his translation of Mar- 
 tial, gives a list of the wines for which Burgundy 
 was renowned in his day, and here they are. The 
 wines of Auxerre, Beaune, Coulanges, Joigny, 
 Irance, Vermanton, and Tonnerre, " which some 
 people prefer,'' says he, "to all other wine" ("que 
 quelques-uns preferent a tous les autres"). 
 
 The wine of Tonnerre is certainly particularly 
 calculated for the cold and foggy climate of Bur- 
 gundy, or for any portion of England. Henderson 
 thus alludes to the vin de Tonnerre : " The depart- 
 ment of the Yonne furnishes several excellent red 
 wines, of which those of Tonnerre and Auxerre have 
 been long celebrated." 
 
 Redding is more copious and careful in his remarks 
 on the Burgundies. " The wines of Tonnerre," says 
 he, " of the finest kind fetch ninety francs the hecto- 
 litre on an average ; and the other wines in gradation 
 from sixty to thirty-five. The wine of Olivotte, one 
 of the best, has good flavour, is fine, and of excellent
 
 326 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 colour, but it lacks the true bouquet, unless in very 
 favourable years. The communes which furnish the 
 best wines are Tonnerre, Epineuil, Dannemonie, for 
 the finer red wines." 
 
 The country round Tonnerre has many distin- 
 guished vineyards ; as those of Pitoy, de Perriere, 
 and Des Preaux. Near these localities is situated 
 the famous vineyard called Des Olivettes, already 
 spoken of, which produces wines of a good colour, 
 much body, and particularly spirituous. They are 
 at the same time fine and delicate, and possess aro- 
 matic flavour and bouquet. Among the white wines 
 of Burgundy is the Chablis, so universally used with 
 oysters, both in France and on the Continent gener- 
 ally. The best classes of Chablis, produced at four 
 leagues from Auxerre, rank among the second classes 
 of white Burgundy. Chablis is not always to be 
 procured good in England, more especially in the 
 provinces; but such as desire a light, pleasant wine 
 with their oysters, may swallow a tumbler of Chablis 
 or Sauterne, or vin de Pouilly, or a large glass of 
 good Bucellas, a wine possessing the fragrancy and 
 bouquet of the Rhenish, with the warm, aromatic, 
 and cordial flavour of the best Spanish and Portuguese 
 wines. Bucellas is produced at about six leagues 
 from Lisbon; it is preferred to the dry wine of 
 Setuval, and is stronger than Barsac. It is, how- 
 ever, like all delicate wines, irretrievably injured 
 by an admixture of brandy. Care should there-
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 327 
 
 fore be taken to procure it from a trustworthy 
 source. 
 
 To return to the vins de Bourgogne. It would take 
 a volume to describe the different species of Bur- 
 gundy. It is the vinous product most noted in France 
 for its exquisite flavour, bouquet, and delicacy ; but 
 Burgundy is nevertheless a wine which least bears 
 transport even on land, whilst transport by sea is too 
 often fatal to its fragrance and flavour. Within the 
 last thirty years I have imported three parcels, one 
 of which was completely spoiled. The two others 
 (one I procured through the good offices of my late 
 friend the celebrated Mauguin, deputy for Burgundy) 
 arrived soundly and uninjured ; but the merchants 
 had taken care to envelope the bottles in a thick 
 paper, very much like cotton wadding, and to encase 
 the wine in two casks, the inner hogshead being 
 smeared over with a composition formed of plaster of 
 Paris and other ingredients of which I am ignorant. 
 Burgundy is also frequently exported, more espe- 
 cially to Russia and America, enveloped in salt. The 
 Burgundy wines are divided into numerous classes. 
 In the quantity yielded, as well as in the quality, 
 these classes differ hugely. 
 
 " That of the first class," says Redding, " is small 
 in quantity, and, if any other wine be mingled with 
 it, is certain to be injured irreparably. From hence 
 it may be judged how little the common wine of 
 Portugal can claim to be classed high in the list of
 
 328 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 superior wines, when from six to ten gallons of brandy 
 are added to each pipe. The difference in the effect 
 of wine that intoxicates from the presence of a large 
 admixture of alcohol, and that which exhilarates from 
 its native qualities alone, is very singular. The pure 
 wine, by the accurate blending of the constituent 
 parts, even where there has been a habit of free 
 indulgence, never leaves those distressing effects upon 
 the constitution which are caused by drinking wine 
 and unblended alcohol." 
 
 The author of the " Topographic des Vignobles " 
 says that the vineyards of Burgundy cover 103,000 
 hectares ; the produce, on the average, being 2,550,000 
 hectolitres of wine, 70,000 of which are consumed in 
 the country. The vineyards have increased very 
 much since the Revolution, many landowners having 
 converted into vineyards low and marshy lands; 
 others having introduced manures, or carried new 
 earth upon the old to increase the crop; others, 
 again, have substituted young for the old plants, and 
 even common plants for the fine and superior growths 
 of the vine. This has caused a degeneracy in the 
 wines in the opinion of the purchaser ; but, notwith- 
 standing the increase in low and common wines, 
 the number of good vineyards have, in the opinion 
 of good judges, likewise increased. But little has 
 been written in England on the subject of vineyards 
 since the time of Arthur Young, whose work on 
 France was published at Bury St. Edmund's in 1794,
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 329 
 
 seventy years ago. The most modern journal giving 
 an account of the Burgundy vineyards that I have 
 met with is the journal of Mr. James Busby, pub- 
 lished originally in New South Wales, and reprinted 
 by Smith, Elder, and Co. several years ago. 
 
 It is no common thing, according to the best 
 authorities, for a hogshead of red Burgundy wine to 
 fetch from 1250 to 1500 francs ; but the white wine 
 is never said to rise above 600 francs the hogshead. 
 
 Touching the Clos Vougeot in particular, however, 
 M. Joubert remarks and he represents at Paris the 
 houses of Barton and Guestier of Bordeaux, of 
 Ruinart, pere etfils, at Rheims, of Charles Marcy of 
 Nuits, and of Deinhart and Jordan of Coblentz 
 that this famous vintage is year by year deteriorating. 
 Formerly, says M. Joubert, this wine possessed the 
 greatest renown of any wine in France, but it is not 
 so now. It is no longer the production of artistes, 
 but purely and simply an affair of trade. So long as 
 the vineyard was the property of the monks (we owe 
 to the monasteries the finest vineyards of France), 
 the Clos Vougeot was made with infinite care, and 
 carefully preserved till age had developed its full 
 perfections. The Messrs. Tourton and Ravel had 
 continued to practise these good traditions, but M. 
 Joubert seems to insinuate that since their time fraud 
 and falsification abound in the preparation of the 
 wine. This remark was probably addressed to the 
 late notorious Ouvrard, who, in the year 1832 or
 
 330 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 1 833, took a large house at the corner of Langham 
 Place, for the purpose of making known these wines. 
 But notwithstanding these frauds, Burgundy pro- 
 duces in good years admirable wines, in the most 
 exact signification of the term, possessing an incom- 
 parable colour and bouquet. A worthy Benedictine 
 named Perignon, according to the author of the 
 " Spectacle de la Nature," presided at the making of 
 the wines of the Abbaye of Hauvilliers ; and Pluche 
 says, by the invention of new processes, Pere Perignon 
 procured for these wines a reputation which they 
 never enjoyed before. 
 
 As though the vinous wealth of Burgundy were 
 not already sufficiently extensive, the wine proprietors 
 have introduced within the last dozen years a spark- 
 ling Burgundy ; as Deinhart and Jordan, at Coblentz, 
 have sought to introduce a sparkling Moselle ; but 
 these new inventions, though applauded by green- 
 horns, are not patronised by those wiser and older 
 wine drinkers who have been accustomed to Nuits, 
 Volnay, Beaune, Pomard, and Chambertin. The 
 Nuits wine is seldom fit for drinking till the third 
 or fourth year after the vintage, but is said by Hen- 
 derson to bear the carriage well ; and there can be no 
 doubt that, when old, it acquires a high flavour. 
 Salins, who wrote in 1704 the " Defense du vin de 
 Bourgogne contre le vin de Champagne," says, the 
 inestimable advantage which Burgundy possesses 
 over its rival is that of furnishing successively cases
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 331 
 
 of wine for all seasons of the year. " In the first 
 place," says he, " there are the wines of Pomard, 
 Beaune, and Volnay ; then the white wine of Meul- 
 sant ; and lastly the Nuits qui n'a pas son pareil et 
 ne peut etre assez prise." 
 
 It is the district of Nuits which produces the Bur- 
 gundy called St. George and the Meursault wines. 
 Here, also, the curious wine called Mont Rachet is 
 made of three distinct kinds of grape grown on the 
 same aspect, with no difference that can be discovered 
 in soil ; and yet, says Redding, one species is so good 
 as to bring three times the price of the others. The 
 wine produced at Volnay, a village situated about 
 three miles from Beaune, was in Barry's time, who 
 wrote in 1775, exactly eighty-nine years ago, the 
 finest and most volatile wine in Burgundy. 
 
 In the year of a good vintage, there is no better 
 wine of entremets than Beaune. It is of a fine red 
 colour, has no noxious qualities, does not heat the 
 blood like other cms of Burgundy, will keep a long 
 time without spoiling, and will bear water carriage. 
 I have drunk excellent Beaune in the remotest cor- 
 ners of Hungary and Transylvania, in the heart of 
 Poland, nay, even in the midst of Russian snows. 
 It is a favourite wine both at Petersburg and Mos- 
 cow, where great quantities are consumed, mingled 
 with ice and water in the summer months. In order 
 to drink Beaune in perfection, it should not, how- 
 ever, be more than four or five years old.
 
 332 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 Pomard is a delicious wine, having body and 
 colour ; and, if first-rate, a light and grateful aroma. 
 I have now some more than thirty years old, obtained 
 pure direct from the grower, through the instru- 
 mentality and good offices of M. Mauguin, who suc- 
 ceeded the Marquis de Chauvelin, as deputy for the 
 Cote d'Or. A finer wine was never tasted. 
 
 Chambertin, it is well known to everyone, was the 
 favourite wine of Napoleon before he arrived at St. 
 Helena. After that period he drank Bordeaux, pro- 
 bably because he thought Burgundy would have 
 been injured by the sea voyage. Chambertin is 
 produced, according to M. Jullieu, two leagues and 
 a half from Dijon, occupies twenty-five hectares, and 
 produces yearly from 130 to 150 pieces of excellent 
 wine, which gives a most perfect bouquet and aro- 
 matic flavour, what the French wine merchants call 
 seve and moelleux. It has a fuller body and colour 
 than the Romanee, with an aroma nearly as fragrant. 
 The Richebourg Tache and St. George approach, ac- 
 cording to Henderson, the Chambertin in their more 
 essential qualities. Chambertin is said to be one of 
 the Burgundy wines which best bears exportation. 
 This, and almost all other Burgundy wines should, 
 however, be drank in moderation, for they are apt to 
 give a feverish heat to the blood. Herein the true 
 gourmet should follow the advice so happily given by 
 Panard: 
 
 " Se piquer d'etre grand buveur 
 Est un abus que je deplore :
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 333 
 
 Fuyons ce titre peu flatteur ; 
 C'est un honneur qui deshonore. 
 Quand on boit trop on s'assoupit, 
 Et Ton tombe en delire : 
 Buvons pour avoir de 1'esprit, 
 Et non pour le detruire." 
 
 The wine which ranks the highest in estimation of 
 all the Burgundy wines is the Romance Conti. The 
 produce is exceedingly scant, as the vineyard is 
 limited to five acres. As the quantity is so small, 
 this wine is rarely exported. It sells even on the 
 spot from six to eight francs the bottle. Henderson 
 says it is seldom met with in a genuine state, and 
 that there is reason to believe that the produce of the 
 vineyard of Romance St. Vivant (so called from the 
 monastery of that name), which is more abundant 
 and of a similar, though inferior quality, is often sold 
 for it. It may be here remarked, that when the 
 monks possessed the superior Burgundy vineyards, 
 they wisely made it a rule to sell the wines only in 
 bottle. Tourton and Ravel of Paris, who purchased 
 the vineyard of Clos'Vougeot during the Revolution 
 at a million of francs, or about 500 the English 
 acre, followed this example ; but it appears the 
 marked distinction of qualities that existed in the 
 time of the monks has not been kept up, and that it 
 will be long before the ancient character can be 
 regained. 
 
 The vinous products of Saone and Loire do not
 
 334 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 equal the premiers crus of the Cote d'Or, but several 
 of them nearly approach the wines of this far-famed 
 district ; and they are in general what French wine- 
 growers call plus solides, i.e., they are less injured in 
 the transport and less exposed to sudden changes, 
 ruinous to the merchant and most unsatisfactory to 
 the consumer. Chalons and Macon possess wines 
 of high merit. Under the name of Macon wines 
 are comprehended not only the growths of the Ma- 
 connais, but also the wines of the Beaujolais, forming 
 part of the department of the Rhone. Those of 
 Romaneche and of Thorins, in the vicinity of Macon, 
 in particular, are esteemed for their delicacy, and 
 sprightliness, and agreeable flavour ; that of Chenas, 
 in the canton of Beaujeu, on the other hand, is a 
 more spirituous and fuller wine, and will bear keeping 
 three or four years in the wood. Of these wines the 
 best are grown, according to Henderson, on a granitic 
 soil. Formerly the plant called chanay, which pro- 
 duces a very small grape, and yields an excellent 
 wine, was in general cultivation here ; but the cupi- 
 dity of the fanners had led to the substitution of the 
 Bourguignon grape, in which, as usual, quality is 
 exchanged for quantity. 
 
 It may not be uninteresting to state that the 
 Macon wines are praised by no less an authority than 
 Gregory of Tours ; and mention is also made of them 
 in the " Comedie des Coteaux ou les Friands Mar- 
 quis," published in the year 1665. They are, with-
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 335 
 
 out any doubt, the wholesomest wines that come 
 from Burgundy, and may be drunk with impunity 
 at all seasons of the year ; but a great portion of the 
 ordinary Macon consumed at Paris is adulterated. 
 When, however, this wine is obtained genuine, it is 
 equal to mothers' milk. I remember as a boy dining 
 with an old gentleman of large fortune in the Chaus- 
 see d'Antin, who had been one of the Mousquetaires 
 Rouges, and who gave me goblet after goblet of this 
 pure Macon. 
 
 " Where, my dear sir, did you obtain this excel- 
 lent wine ? " I asked. 
 
 " Ah, mon cher!" said my old friend, " that was a 
 present to me from Creuze de Lesser, when he was 
 Prefect at Autun. I doubt that my neighbour 
 Tourton, who lives at the corner of the Rue de Pro- 
 vence, or that Jovet or Vilcoq of Antun could 
 match it ! " 
 
 Macon wine may be generally imported into Eng- 
 land without risk of being injured in flavour. There 
 is one observation which might be made on the wines 
 of Burgundy before this part of the subject is closed, 
 and the observation equally applies to all wines 
 which have, like the Burgundies, a very fine bouquet 
 and aromatic flavour. Such wines should never be 
 iced. Icing, or even a too cold cellar, causes them 
 to lose that inappreciable and fugacious flavour which 
 is developed by a moderate degree of heat. Bur- 
 gundies should be taken out of the cellar an hour or
 
 336 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 two before dinner and placed in the dining-room, 
 within the wake of a temperate fire. 
 
 I go farther than most persons, and maintain that 
 most red wines should not be iced. It may be answered, 
 that " there is no wine more iced than Claret in all 
 the Indian presidencies ;" but this Claret so iced is not 
 the pure juice of the grape. It is a loaded wine 
 made for the market, which every genuine lover of 
 Claret should abhor. It was the custom in the first 
 society of Bordeaux, and always at the prefecture, in 
 the days of Baron d'Haussey, afterwards Minister of 
 Marine to Charles X., to serve Claret with a tepid 
 napkin round the claret-jug or decanter into which the 
 wine was poured, or round the green glass bottle itself, 
 if, as indeed it more frequently happened, the wine 
 was not decanted. This gentle heat brings out ad- 
 tageously the flavour and aroma of the wine. 
 
 As to the period of the dinner when Burgundy 
 should be introduced, all I would say is this, that it 
 should not be served later than the roast. A glass of 
 Pomard, Nuits,or Chambertin,may be very well taken 
 after the first mouthful of a good haunch of South 
 Down or a filet de bceuf a la Poivrade is swallowed. 
 Neither should I object to a repetition of the dose 
 (whatever Lord Brougham, who contends for Claret 
 after game, may say to the contrary) after swallow- 
 ing a slice of woodcock, partridge, or that excellent 
 bird, so justly bepraised, the golden plover ; but to 
 reserve Burgundy for the entremets, sucres, or dessert,
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 337 
 
 is a piece of rampant snobbishness worthy of a nou- 
 veau riche. 
 
 The water-drinkers may laugh at me for having 
 written at such length on such subjects, but I answer 
 in the lines of Fra^ois de Neufchateau : 
 
 " Mais la sobriete 
 
 Dans ses travers sera-t-elle plus sage ? 
 Pour fuir 1'abus doit-on bannir 1'usage ? 
 Ah, je connais la pauvre humanite 
 Tout est jolie ; et bien mieux que personne 
 Un buveur d'eau quelquefois deraisonne." 
 
 I now come to Champagne wine. The quarrel 
 which existed in the time of Louis XIV. between 
 the Burgundy doctor and the Champenois, concerning 
 the respective merits and defects of the wines of their 
 different provinces, has been before alluded to. The 
 Bourguignon maintained that Burgundy merited 
 a preference over the wine of Rheims, for that these 
 latter over-excited the nerves, produced dangerous 
 maladies, such as the gout; and, in a word, that 
 Fagon, first physician to Louis XIV., forbade their 
 use to that monarch. The citizens of Rheims deemed 
 themselves in duty bound to resent this insult, and 
 the faculty of medicine of the town was charged with 
 the task. The faculty, of course, maintained that the 
 wines of A'i,Pierri,Versenai, Silleri, Hauvilliers, Tassi, 
 Montbre, and St. Thierri, bore off the bell in the 
 " top-loftiest manner," as Sam Slick would say, from 
 Burgundy ; that they possessed a more limpid colour,
 
 338 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 a sweeter perfume, more body, and greater dura- 
 bility. The Bourguignon rejoined, that the courts 
 of England, Germany, and Denmark, drank no other 
 beverage than Burgundy ; " and as to Champagne," 
 says he, " it owes its renown to the two ministers, 
 Colbert and Le Tellier, who, as wine-proprietors, 
 vaunted their own vineyards in the neighbourhood 
 of Rheims." 
 
 This was, however, a mistake. Colbert was, in- 
 deed, a Champenois, but neither he nor Le Tellier 
 gave renown to the wines of Champagne. The vine- 
 yards of Champagne had been celebrated for cen- 
 turies before they were born; and Francis I., Leo X., 
 Charles V., and Henry VIII., had each of them a 
 vineyard at A'i, with a resident superintendent. The 
 other objections of the Bourguignon have more show 
 of reason. " Champagne is a wine," says he, " which 
 is neither strong, nor full-bodied, nor generous. It 
 is weak, insipid, and watery, liable to change colour, 
 incapable of bearing exportation, or a long journey ; 
 whereas Volnay was drunk in Poland at the corona- 
 tion of Sobieski, and Beaune was served at Venice by 
 Comandante Morosini at the entertainment which he 
 gave the senators af er the conquestof the Morea, when 
 it was considered one of the first wines of Europe." 
 
 The champion of Champagne answered with an 
 extract from a letter of St. Evremond to the Duke 
 d'Olonne: " Fussiez vous a deux cens lieues de 
 Paris, n'epargnez aucune depense, pour avoir des vins
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 339 
 
 de Champagne. Ceux de Bourgogne out perdu leur 
 credit aupres des gens qui ont le gout delicat ; et a 
 peine conservent ils un reste de reputation chez les 
 marchands." 
 
 This vinous battle continued till 1741, when 
 another question was started, viz. " Le vin de Cham- 
 pagne est il aussi salutaire qu'agreable?" It was 
 apropos of this question that the Sieur Navier main- 
 tained twenty years later, in the schools of Rheims, 
 that Champagne might be usefully employed in putrid 
 fevers. But notwithstanding these pros and cons, 
 the world went on pretty much as usual. Those who 
 relished Champagne drank it, and those who pre- 
 ferred Burgundy swallowed their modicum of their 
 favourite tipple without the least regard to the lite- 
 rary combatants. So it will ever be. 
 
 The department of Marne, in the opinion of most 
 women, and of all boys, is the real and genuine vin- 
 ous glory of France. I admit that if you find a 
 Champagne of a really first-rate cm ; limpid, neither 
 too sweet, nor too sparkling, nor too spirituous ; but 
 brisk with body, vinous, and retaining these amiable 
 qualities so as fully to develope them in the arriere 
 bouche that then you obtain a rare wine, and not 
 to be despised. But how seldom, how very rarely 
 indeed, is such a wine to be had ! 
 
 In consequence of the tricks played with Cham- 
 pagne wines, the generality of the vintages possess 
 not that perfect, piquant, and fine flavour which
 
 340 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 heretofore characterized them. How can it be other- 
 wise ? A gentleman with whom Mr. Busby travelled 
 told him he could buy very good sound Champagne 
 at Chalons for two francs a bottle, and was then 
 going to purchase one hundred bottles at that price. 
 Millions of bottles of champagne mousseux are, how- 
 ever, yearly sold in the Champagne country at two 
 and three francs the bottle, and this shocking swipes 
 is too dear by half. Champagne should only be pur- 
 chased with the greatest precautions. 
 
 " By Champagne wine," says Henderson, "is usu- 
 ally understood a sparkling or frothing liquor, or a 
 wine subjected to an imperfect fermentation, and 
 containing a quantity of carbonic acid gas that has 
 been generated during the insensible fermentation in 
 bottle, and is disengaged on removing the pressure 
 by which it was retained in solution. This notion is 
 not altogether correct ; for the district under review 
 furnishes many excellent wines, both red and white, 
 which do not effervesce. It is true, indeed, that most 
 of the white, or River Marne wines, are brisk ; and 
 in general, they are of superior quality, and more 
 highly esteemed than the red or mountain wines. 
 They are distinguished by their delicate flavour and 
 aroma, and the agreeable pungency and slightly aci- 
 dulous taste which they derive from the carbonic acid. 
 Their exhilarating virtues are familiar to every one. 
 
 " It must be remembered, however, that the brisk- 
 est wines are not always the best. They are, of
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 341 
 
 course, the most defective in true vinous quality, and 
 the small portion of alcohol which they contain im- 
 mediately escapes from the froth as it rises on the 
 surface, carrying with it the aroma, and leaving the 
 liquor that remains in the glass nearly vapid ; for it 
 has been shown by Humboldt, that when the froth 
 is collected under a bell-glass, surrounded with ice, 
 the alcohol becomes condensed on the sides of the 
 vessel by the operation of the cold. Hence the still, 
 or the creaming, or slightly sparkling Champagne 
 wines (cremants, or demi-mousscux) are more highly 
 valued by connoisseurs, and fetch greater prices 
 than the full-frothing wines (grand-mousseux). By 
 icing these wines before they are used, the tendency 
 to effervesce is in some degree repressed, or only 
 allowed to operate to such an extent as may be com- 
 patible with the more perfect flavour that we desire 
 to find in them ; but when they are kept cool this 
 precaution is unnecessary. 
 
 " Among the white wines of Champagne, the first 
 rank is usually assigned to those of Sillery, under 
 which name is comprehended the produce of the vine- 
 yards of Verzenay, Mailly, Raument, &c. It is a 
 dry, still liquor, of a light amber colour, with con- 
 siderable body and flavour, somewhat analogous to 
 that of the first growths of the Rhine, and, being one 
 of the best fermented Champagne wines, may be 
 drunk with the greatest safety. Having been origi- 
 nally brought into vogue by the peculiar care be-
 
 342 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 stowed on the manufacture of it by the Marechale 
 d'Estrees, it was long known by the name vin de la 
 Marechale. It has always been in much request in 
 England, probably on account of its superior strength 
 and durable quality. It is usually drunk iced." 
 
 The rich dry Sillery is kept longer in the cask 
 than the other wines, and the fermentation not being 
 checked, it is esteemed more wholesome. The still 
 wines of Epernay are inferior to those of Rheims ; 
 but the other kinds, according to Redding, approached 
 very nearly to those of Ai in delicacy of bouquet. 
 The price to the merchant on the spot, according to 
 the same authority, is about 2s. 3d. a bottle, and in 
 scarce years 2s.- 6d. In an article in the " Encyclo- 
 paedia Metropolitana," it is said that those wines 
 must be kept three years in bottle to attain perfec- 
 tion, and will continue excellent for ten, twenty, and 
 even thirty years or more, if they are of prime qual- 
 ity. This, under favour and with submission, is a 
 grave mistake. Champagne, with the exception of 
 first-rate qualities, is not a vin de garde, and requires 
 to be looked after every year. If there be the least 
 sediment or deposit, it is the custom in all the great 
 wine-vaults in Champagne to filter the wine into 
 fresh bottles. The Champagne wines are short-lived ; 
 but if the quality of the liquor be of the very best, 
 the wine does not acquire perfection till it has been 
 three years in bottle. Supposing it to be of the very 
 primest quality, the cream of Champagne certainly
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 343 
 
 may last for fifteen or twenty years, and still acquire 
 perfection. Some there are, indeed, who say that 
 delicious Champagne has been tasted forty years old. 
 I never tasted any above thirteen years old, and that 
 was many years ago, at the house of Mr. Marsh, 
 author of " The Clubs of London," then living in 
 the Rue de Bourbon, Faubourg St. Germain. A 
 friend, however, who is a good judge of Champagne, 
 and fond of a good glass of it and, what is better 
 than all, a good fellow, says he has tasted excellent 
 twenty years old, and I defer to his authority, now 
 that the old Irish peer, Allen (the fondest and most 
 inveterate of Champagne- drinkers I ever encoun- 
 tered, whether peer or plebeian), is not producible, 
 or, at least, not forthcoming to give his evidence, 
 though called on his subpoena. 
 
 It should be stated, that the wine-growers in 
 Champagne prepare their merchandise for the various 
 tastes and caprices of different nations. Thus, the 
 Champagne for the Russians is a very different wine 
 from the Champagne for the Germans ; which, again, 
 differs from the wine confcctionne for the English 
 market. The Americans are said to put up with 
 anything which foams and sparkles in a " tarnation 
 toplofty fashion." In Jaquesson's cellars at Chalons 
 sur Marne, you see bins for all the principal towns 
 of the world, London, Vienna, Paris, Petersburg, 
 Madrid, &c, 
 
 Champagne, unlike Burgundy or Claret, is a wine
 
 344 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 always improved by ice. The chief characteristic of 
 the best Champagne is its exquisite delicacy of flavour. 
 The strength of the bottles for the sparkling wines, 
 and their uniform thickness, are most carefully ascer- 
 tained. A bottle with the least imperfection or mal- 
 formation is put aside for the red wines. 
 
 It were useless to particularise every variety of 
 wine produced in Champagne. Some of the classes 
 are so bad that they will not bear exportation. The 
 wine most esteemed after the Sillery is the Ai ; but 
 it is nearly equalled by the wine of Mareuil. The 
 wine of Pierry is drier, but will keep longer than 
 those of Ai', and nearly equals them in quality. The 
 wines of Dizz follow next, and lastly Epernay, part 
 of whose wines is inferior, and part equal to those of 
 Ai. 
 
 The author of the " Topographic des Vignobles " 
 thus speaks of the high price of the Vins Mousseux : 
 " The high price of the Vins Mousseux" says Jullien, 
 " comes not only from the quality of the wines chosen 
 to make them, and the infinite pains required before 
 they are finished, but also from the considerable 
 losses to which the proprietors and dealers are ex- 
 posed in this kind of speculation, and the strange 
 phenomena which determine or destroy the qualite 
 mousseuse. As to losses, the owners count in general 
 upon fifteen or twenty bottles broken in a hundred ; 
 sometimes even thirty or forty. To this must be 
 added the diminution which takes place as the wine
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 345 
 
 is separated from its deposits by decanting, an opera- 
 tion which is performed at least twice." 
 
 These certainly are curious and unexplainable 
 phenomena ; but explainable or not, one thing is cer- 
 tain, that if gentlemen wish to obtain first-rate Cham- 
 pagne, whether still or sparkling, they must go to a 
 respectable wine-merchant, and pay a good price, 
 whether at home or abroad. In dealing with Moet, 
 or Ruinart, or any other accredited agent, they can- 
 not fail to find a superior article ; but they should 
 avoid the cheap Champagnes with as much care as 
 they would avoid the feculent water flowing out of 
 Fleet Ditch into the Thames. Mr. Redding, in a valu- 
 able little book of his called " Every Man his own 
 Butler," says, " Some people fancy they get better 
 Champagne by going to the docks and choosing for 
 themselves." But that this is not so will be very 
 apparent, when it is stated that hundreds of thousands 
 of bottles of Champagne are imported, which, glass, 
 wine, and all, are not worth the duty. 
 
 The bottling of the effervescing Champagne wines 
 begins in March, and the fermentation in May. The 
 latter continues all the summer, but is particularly 
 strong in June, during the flowering of the vine ; 
 and in August, when the fruit begins to ripen. At 
 these times, the greatest loss' in the bursting of bottles 
 takes place, and it is not safe to pass through a cellar 
 without being guarded with a mask of iron wire. It 
 occasionally happens that the workmen who neglect
 
 346 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 this precaution are sometimes severely, sometimes 
 dangerously, wounded. Among the wines prepared 
 to effervesce or, to use the technical phrase, for 
 la mousse there are some which only partake of 
 a slight fermentation. These are the cremants 
 wines, which drive out the cork with less force, and 
 sparkle in the glass. Their mousse is frothy, and, 
 like the 
 
 " Snow-ball on the river, 
 A moment white, then gone for ever." 
 
 They are said to have the advantage over the Vins 
 grand mousseux, in preserving more vinous qualities 
 and being less sharp. Their price is also higher, for 
 they are sought for by connoisseurs, and cannot be 
 obtained in great quantity. The best red Champagne 
 wines are produced upon the north side of the de- 
 clivities of the Marne, which are called the Montagues 
 de Rheims. 
 
 The Champagne wine-merchants use the greatest 
 precaution in packing their wines for exportation. 
 The sides of the baskets or cases are lined with paste- 
 board, and each bottle is enveloped in a sheet of blue 
 or grey paper. Champagne mousseux, exported to 
 the Indies or America, is preserved from the exces- 
 sive heat by being packed in salt. At the bot- 
 tom of the case there is a layer of straw, and then 
 a layer of salt, upon which the first row of bottles 
 is placed. Jullien, in his " Manuel du Sommelier,"
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 347 
 
 states that the finest Burgundies thus packed have 
 preserved all their qualities on a voyage to India, and 
 experienced but fourteen degrees of heat in passing 
 under the equator. 
 
 I come at length to Claret, and with Francesco 
 Redi, exclaim, 
 
 " Benedetto, 
 Quel claretto ! " 
 
 Blessed, indeed, be Bordeaux, the ground that bare 
 it ; for it is king of all wines, past, present, and to 
 come ! Of this opinion, too, was Lemery, physician 
 to Louis XIV., who thus speaks of it: "Claret," 
 says he, "of all others, is generally the best wine 
 for all constitutions; and the reason is, because it 
 contains a sufficient quantity of tartarous parts, that 
 make it less heady and more stomachical than white 
 wine. As for pale wine ; it is a middling sort, be- 
 tween the red and white ; the same is made of grapes 
 of the same colour, or else by mixing white wine with 
 a little red." 
 
 The Bordeaux wines are generally divided into vins 
 de Medoc, des Graves, des Palus, des Cutcs, de Terre 
 forte, and vim d'entre deux Mers ; but so much do 
 they differ by the taste, colour, bouquet, durability, 
 and a thousand imperceptible shades, that it would 
 be difficult to give an exact list of the varied and 
 magnificent productions of the Gironde. Commer- 
 cial men have, however, established two recognU-d 
 classes, which appear to be tacitly admitted by all
 
 348 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 parties, and which may serve as a guide to the pur- 
 chaser. In the first class are ranked Chateau Mar- 
 geaux, Chateau Lafitte, Latour, Haut Brion. The 
 product of these four vintages may be rated at from 
 400 to 450 tonneaux, the value of which represents a 
 capital of 2400 to 3000 francs per tonneau. When 
 age has developed the qualities of these wines, more 
 particularly in a good vintage, the value is at least 
 doubled. For the last twenty years the Haut Brion 
 seems to be on the wane in public favour, and it sells 
 at a lesser price than one of its three rivals. 
 
 The second class of Bordeaux wines is composed of 
 the Rauzan, Braune, Mouton, Leoville, Gruau, La 
 Rose, Pichon, Longueville, Durfort, Degorse, Des- 
 tournelle ; producing 850 tonneaux, which ranges at 
 from 2000 to 2100 francs the tonneau. 
 
 The third class comprises within its ranks the Kir- 
 wan, Chateau d'Issau, Poujets, many clos of Cante- 
 nac, and of Margeaux, Mulescot, Ferriere, Giscours, 
 &c. These vineyards produce about 1100 tonneaux, 
 of the value of from 1700 to 1800 francs the tonneau. 
 
 The fourth class has two divisions : first, the Saint 
 Julien,Bechevelle, Saint Pierre, &c. ; producingabout 
 650 tonneaux, worth about from 1200 to 1500 each. 
 In the second division are ranged the great properties 
 of Pauillac and Saint Estephe, with some others, 
 producing about 1000 tonneaux, at from 1000 to 1200 
 francs the tonneau. 
 
 The difference which exists between these four or
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 349 
 
 five superior qualities of wine, and the wines made 
 by small proprietors, which are sold at from 300 to 
 450 francs the tonneau, results less from the quality 
 of the grape and the nature of the soil than from, 
 circumstances incident to the want of capital, and 
 from the desire of obtaining quantity at the expense 
 of quality. There can be no doubt whatever that 
 the large capitalist purchases a better wine than the 
 small one, though the small capitalist has it in his 
 power to produce as good a bottle of wine on his own 
 table as his richer neighbour. But, when he caters 
 for the public, it is more profitable by different mix- 
 tures to produce 100 tonneaux of middling quality 
 than fifty of superior wine, even though the latter 
 be sold at a considerably higher price than the former. 
 In the cellars at Bordeaux there is great management 
 of the wine. It is always kept in a vault or cellar 
 pretty nearly of the same temperature, and is fed, 
 once every two or three weeks, if intended for the 
 English or foreign market, with a pint or two of the 
 best brandy. The wine is frequently tasted to know 
 what state it is in, and the brandy is used accord- 
 ingly. Care must, however, be taken never to put 
 in much at a time, especially for wines intended for 
 immediate sale, as such a mode of proceeding would 
 destroy the flavour of the wine, and cause it to taste 
 fiery. If a little be put in at a time, it is said to in- 
 corporate quickly with the wine, and to feed and 
 mellow it. Among the London wine merchants the
 
 350 On Wines, Ancient and Modern 
 
 custom is, if the Claret be faint and has lost its colour, 
 to rack it into a fresh hogshead upon the lees of good 
 Claret. It is then bunged up, pulling the bung down- 
 wards for two or three days that the lees may run 
 through it, after which its bung is laid up till it be 
 fine. If the colour be not then perfect, it is racked 
 off again into a hogshead that has been nearly drawn 
 off, then an ounce of cochineal is added, shaken up 
 in a bottle of wine, and put it into the hogshead ; 
 and by this method the wine is said to acquire both 
 a good colour and body. Sometimes a pound of turn- 
 sole is put into a gallon or two of wine, and the cask 
 rolled about, and then the wine-doctors tell you your 
 beverage will have a perfect colour. The greenhorns 
 may think this is pure invention ; but, lest I should 
 be thought " to draw on my fancy for facts," I ex- 
 tract the following receipts from the work of John 
 Davies, who, having practised them on the lieges of 
 Leeds for a long while, at length came up to the 
 metropolis, and published his work " On the Mana- 
 ging, Colouring, and Flavouring of Foreign Wines 
 and Spirits," a work which subsequently went 
 through many editions. The following are his re- 
 ceipts verbatim et literatim : 
 
 "METHOD OF COLOURING CLARET. Take as 
 many as you please of damsons or black sloes, and 
 strew them with some of the deepest-coloured wine 
 you can get, and as much sugar as will make it into 
 a syrup. A pint of this will colour a hogshead of
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modem. 351 
 
 Claret. It is also good for red Port wines, and may 
 be kept ready for use in glass bottles. 
 
 " A REMEDY FOR CLARET THAT DRINKS FOUL. 
 Rack off your Claret from the dregs on some fresh 
 lees of its own kind, and then take a dozen of new 
 pippins, pare them, and take away the cores or hearts, 
 then put them in your hogsheads, and, if that is not 
 sufficient, take a handful of the oak of Jerusalem and 
 bruise it, then put it into your wine, and stir it very 
 well. This not only takes away the foulness, but 
 also gives it a good scent." 
 
 The great commerce of Bordeaux is in its wine, 
 but it is much diminished since the loss of St. Do- 
 mingo. A considerable export of wines, not so loaded 
 as they formerly were, has recently taken place to 
 the East Indies; and no doubt the opening of the 
 China trade will also somewhat tend to improve the 
 condition and state of the Gironde wine-grower. 
 But what most desire to see, would be a freer ex- 
 change of the vinous wealth of France with England. 
 It is in every sense desirable that our population, 
 instead of drinking that thick and heady Port, con- 
 sumed by the Eldons and Stowells of a past genera- 
 tion, and some old dons and tutors of Oxford, a few 
 old barristers, and a great mass of attorneys of the 
 present generation, should drink the ordinary red 
 Bordeaux wines ; or, if they will have white wines, 
 those Sauternes and Graves whose prices sometimes 
 rise so high as 3000 francs the tonneau. There is not
 
 352 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 a pleasanter or more healthful wine than good Sau- 
 terne. It is, of course, difficult to get pure Sauterne 
 in taverns or hotels ; but to such as have not establish- 
 ments in town, a trial of the Sauterne at Bellamy's, at 
 the House of Commons, would be advisable. The 
 following account of Jullien is very interesting : 
 
 " The inferior wines of Bordeaux," says the author 
 of the " Topographic des Vignobles," " are exported 
 to America and the interior of France ; those of the 
 first quality to India, Russia, and England. 
 
 " The difference in price between the first and in- 
 ferior wines is very great. Those of the best vine- 
 yards sell generally the first year at from 2000 to 3000 
 francs the tonneau, and rise to 5000 or 6000, and even 
 higher, in a very favourable vintage. On the con- 
 trary, the vins communs fetch only from 100 to 120 
 francs, and seldom rise to more than 200 or 300. 
 
 " The wine of first quality, at its point of maturity, 
 ought to have a beautiful colour, much firmness, a 
 very agreeable bouquet, and a flavour which embalms 
 the mouth, strength without intoxicating, and body 
 without harshness. The Bordeaux wines are, con- 
 trary to the generality of French wines, improved by 
 a sea voyage ; and wines of the second and third 
 quality, after a voyage, have equalled those of the 
 first. 
 
 " The English houses at Bordeaux, immediately 
 after the vintage, purchase alarge quantity of the wines 
 of all the best vineyards, in order that they may un-
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 353 
 
 dergo la travaille a Tanglaise. This operation con- 
 sists in putting into fermentation part of the wines 
 during the following summer ; by mixing in each bar- 
 rel from thirteen to eighteen pots of Alicant or Beni- 
 carlo, or the wines of the Hermitage, Cahors, Langue- 
 doc, and others ; one pot of white wine called Muet 
 (wine whose fermentation had been stopped by the 
 fumes of sulphur), and one bottle of spirits of wine. 
 The wine is drawn off in December, and then laid 
 up in the chars (cellars) for some years. By this 
 operation the wines are rendered more spirituous and 
 very strong, they acquire a good flavour, but are in- 
 toxicating. The price, likewise, is increased. 
 
 " The age of wine at Bordeaux is counted par 
 feuilles ; that is, the number of times the vine has 
 been in leaf since the vintage. The years which the 
 wines require to be kept vary, but those of vins de 
 Graves do not reach perfection before the fifth or 
 sixth." 
 
 This is a recent account ; but it will be well to hear 
 what old Barry, who wrote ninety years ago, says on 
 the same subject. After having perused his account 
 it will appear that we, at the commencement of 
 the twentieth century, are but practising, with var- 
 iations, the tricks which our ancestors played cen- 
 turies ago. 
 
 " The French wine-merchants," says Barry, " en- 
 couraged by the great demands for these Claret wines, 
 first began to mix their inferior wines with the 
 
 A A
 
 354 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 Spanish ; and, though there was a severe law for- 
 bidding this practice, yet it was connived at, as it 
 increased the value and demand for them. This 
 encouraged some persons from hence and Ireland to 
 reside there as factors, with a view, at first, of ac- 
 quiring the profit arising from the large commissions 
 which before had always been consigned to the 
 French wine-merchants. But these factors soon be- 
 came wine-merchants likewise, among whom it was 
 usual to employ their tasters, after the vintage was 
 over, to examine the new wines ; and, when they had 
 been properly informed, purchased such a quantity 
 as was sufficient to answer the demands they ex- 
 pected. These were soon after mixed and prepared 
 with the Spanish wines, which added more strength 
 and flavour to them. Thus the price of them was 
 gradually raised much higher than the wines of these 
 growths had been formerly estimated. 
 
 What Barry says about factors is perfectly true ; but 
 a very old Bordeaux wine-merchant and wine-grower 
 informed me, nearly forty years since, that the factors 
 of seventy years ago were principally Irish and Scotch, 
 and that there were at that period many Irish and 
 Scotch among the proprietors of vineyards. " There 
 were," said he, " Gernons, Byrnes, Cruises, Cassins, 
 M'Donnells, Maxwells, Stewarts, M'Laurins, among 
 the factors ; and among the proprietors of vineyards 
 Cockburns, M'Kinnons, Kirwans, Frenches, Dalys, 
 Walshes, Bogles, Archers, and O'Connors." This may
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 355 
 
 have accounted for the superiority which Dublin and 
 Edinburgh obtained more than half a century ago over 
 the London market in respect of Claret, a super- 
 iority which was attested by the great run made for 
 these wines on the house of Sneyd, French, and Bar- 
 ton ; Cockburn and Co. ; Cranston and Co. ; Stewart 
 and Co. ; Roche and Co. ; Sir John Ferns and Co. ; 
 Sir Anthony Perrier and Co. ; Brook and Co. ; 
 Wilson and Co., and many others. 
 
 The excellence of the Bordeaux wines was cele- 
 brated even in" the days of.Ausonius, and they have 
 uniformly maintained their repute. They are, with- 
 out any manner of doubt, the most perfect wines that 
 France produces. They keep perfectly, are improved 
 by sea carriage, and may be freely exported to any 
 part of the world. The original fermentation being 
 usually very complete, they are less disposed to 
 acidity, and are more wholesome than the wines of 
 Burgundy. A great proportion of the wine, how- 
 ever, which is drunk as Claret, is but vin ordinaire, 
 or the secondary wine of the country, for the prime 
 growths fall far short of the demand which prevails 
 for these wines all over the world. In Bordeaux 
 the very best growths are scarce, and cannot be 
 purchased at less than from six to seven francs 
 a bottle. " During the twenty years that I have 
 been living at Bordeaux," says one of Roziere's cor- 
 respondents, " I have not tasted three times any 
 wine of the first quality ; yet I am in the way of
 
 356 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 knowing it and getting it when it is to be had. The 
 wines of the year 1784 were so superior to those of 
 other years, that I have never met with anything 
 like them." 
 
 Whence comes the word Claret ? From the French 
 adjective clairet, which in the feminine, is clairette. 
 In the masculine it is only used of what is called a 
 vin rouge paillet, vinum rubellum sanguineum. In this 
 sense a man is said to be entre lellanc et le clairet , i.e., 
 that he is entre deux vins. Hypocras was formerly 
 called Claret, and is still .so called in Germany. Old 
 Cowel, in his " Interpreter," says, " This denomina- 
 tion originates from claretum, a liquor made anciently 
 of wine and honey, clarified by decoction, which the 
 Germans, French, and English call hippocras, and it 
 is for this reason that the red wines of France were 
 called Claret." 
 
 In Pegg's " Cury " there is an account of the 
 rolls of provisions, with their prices, in the time of 
 Henry VIII., and we there find at the dinner given 
 at the marriage of Gervys Clifton and Mary Nevil, 
 the price of three hogsheads of wine (one white, one 
 red, one claret), was set down at 51. 5s. 
 
 The department of the Rhone produces the Cote 
 Roti at a vineyard about seven leagues from Lyons. 
 This a wine Avhich possesses body, spirit, flavour, and 
 perfume. If allowed to remain in the cask for five or 
 six years, it improves wonderfully. It may then be 
 bottled, and will improve in bottle for twenty years.
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 357 
 
 The Cote Roti is a wine much drunk in Switzerland 
 and Franche Comte. It is grown at Ampuis, and 
 ranks as one of the best wines of France. It is, 
 when young, slightly bitter and rather heady, but is 
 much improved by a voyage. The flavour some- 
 what resembles red Hermitage, and if it were gener- 
 ally imported into England, it would be preferred to 
 Port by all who have a sound palate and liver. 
 
 Tain, four leagues from Valence, possesses the fa- 
 mous Hermitage vineyard. Hermitage is divided 
 into five classes. It is not bottled for exportation 
 till it has been four or five years in the cask. The 
 price of the wine is high, even if the quality be 
 moderate. I am in possession of some obtained 
 twenty years ago as a favour, at 96s. a dozen, from 
 the Prince Charles de Broglie, and with freight, car- 
 riage, interest of money, &c., it now stands me in at 
 least seven guineas the dozen. 
 
 The white Hermitage is made of white grapes 
 only, and is divided into three growths. It is an ex- 
 quisite and most delicious beverage, and may be pro- 
 nounced to be the finest white wine France produces. 
 White Hermitage is said to keep a century. I tasted 
 some bought at the sale of the late Marquess of Lon- 
 donderry's wines in St. James's Square, which must 
 be at least sixty years old, and a more delicious 
 wine was never produced at table. The only dif- 
 ference between it and white Hermitage of five 
 years old is that the tint and colour are of a deep
 
 358 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 amber, but in dry ness, richness, and aroma, it is 
 unrivalled. 
 
 In 1836, a few bottles of this wine, which had been 
 in the late Marquess of Wellesley's cellars since 1807, 
 was purchased by me; but, although a fine wine, it was 
 not to compare with the Hermitage of the late Lord 
 Londonderry, better known as Lord Castlereagh. 
 
 The grape from which the red Hermitage is made 
 is supposed to have come originally from Persia,* 
 The vineyard was, it is said, planted by a hermit of 
 Bessas for his amusement. 
 
 Richard and Sons are among the first wine-mer- 
 chants and bankers at Tournon,a town on the opposite 
 side of the Rhone to Tain, and joined to it by a sus- 
 pension-bridge. They export large quantities of the 
 finest growth of Hermitage to Bordeaux to mix with 
 the first growths of Claret. The largest wine-press 
 in France belongs to this firm. By one charge of it 
 the proprietors can obtain forty casks of wine, of 
 about fifty gallons each. 
 
 One of the principal proprietors of the Hermitage 
 vineyards is a gentleman of Irish descent, a Mr. 
 Machon. The soil on which the Hermitage grows is 
 highly calcareous, and it is to this peculiarity, as well 
 
 * This grape is named the Ciras. In the "(Enologie Fran- 
 qaise" for 1826, it is spelt Scyras, and it is stated, according to 
 the tradition of the neighbourhood, the plant was originally 
 brought from Shiraz, in Persia, by one of the hermits of the 
 mountain.
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 359 
 
 perhaps as to the selection of the plants, that the wine 
 owes its superiority. The labour bestowed in the 
 vineyards is said to be unremitting. 
 
 The cost of wine cultivation in France is immense, 
 and it seldom happens that more than four or five per 
 cent, and frequently not more than two or three, are 
 returned to the landowner. 
 
 The German wines, as a general description, may 
 be pronounced generous and finely flavoured, rich in 
 bouquet, and the least acid among the northern wines. 
 They are, however, drier than the wines of France. 
 That they are what the French call vins de garde, or 
 wines that will keep, is plainly apparent from the 
 fact that the better qualities have been found perfect 
 at eighty and even at a hundred years old. The 
 Moselle wines are among the least acid of the Ger- 
 man, or indeed of the wines of any country. The Ger- 
 man jurist Hontheim says the best Moselle wines make 
 men cheerful ; when drunk in quantity and old, good ; 
 the heat leaving the body and head without incon- 
 venience and disorder. Riidesheim, six leagues from 
 Mayence, is said to produce the best wines in Ger- 
 many, having more body, strength, and bouquet, than 
 those on the left bank of the Rhine. An auhm of 
 1811 sells for 551. On the Johannisberg wines it 
 would be unnecessary to dilate here. Barry, seventy 
 years ago, in speaking of the Hock wines, adduced, 
 as a circumstance that contributed to their advance- 
 ment, the fact that there was an annual addition of
 
 360 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 a due proportion of the recent and new wine of the 
 same growth to the old wine. In his day the best 
 old Hock sold at the price of 507. the auhm. The 
 Rhine wines of most strength are the Marcobrunner, 
 Riidesheimer, and Nierstiner. The Johannisberger, 
 Geissenheim, and Hockheim have the most perfect 
 delicacy and aroma. The wines of Bischeim, As- 
 manshausen, and Laubenheim, are also light and 
 agreeable. The German proverb says, " Rhein wein, 
 fein wein, Necker wein, lecre Avein, Franken wein, 
 tranken wein, Mosel wein, unnosel wein." But the 
 wines of all wines are the Julius Hospitalis Stein- 
 wein of 1811, and the Cabinet Leinstenwein of 1822. 
 I remember in 1828 and 1829 drinking fine specimens 
 of both at the Three Moors at Augsburg (a capital 
 hotel), and noting down that the price of the Stein- 
 wein was four florins, twenty-four kreutzers, and of 
 the Lienstenwein five florins, forty-eight kreutzers ; 
 the one amounting nearly to 8s. and the other fully 
 to 9s. of our money. They are both exquisite wines, 
 but are said to produce strangury. Switzerland grows 
 little good wine. The Neufchatel would, perhaps, 
 most please an English palate ; it is equal to the 
 third quality of Burgundy, and has some resemblance 
 to Port without much body. 
 
 On the Spanish wines I must be brief. Under 
 the influence of the sun of a warm climate, they 
 contain more alcohol, and are altogether differently 
 prepared. The grapes are suffered to become quite
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 36 1 
 
 ripe, and part of the must is concentrated by boiling 
 it in large cauldrons for forty-four hours. The 
 Spanish wines, however, with the exception of those 
 of Xeres and Malaga, are greatly neglected in the 
 manufacture. Manzinilla, the country wine of the 
 district of Xeres de la Frontena, is a light, pleasant 
 beverage, not destitute of mellowness and flavour. 
 It is far preferable in every respect to those loaded, 
 coloured compounds which pass for Sherries in Lon- 
 don taverns. 
 
 The extent of the cellars of Gordon and Co., of 
 Cadiz, is immense. The length of the largest 306 
 feet, and the breadth 222 feet. The ordinary stock 
 of wine is said to be 4000 butts, which is kept in 
 casks of various sizes, containing from one to four 
 butts. The wine merchants of Xeres never exhaust 
 their stock of finest and oldest wine. A cask of wine, 
 said to be fifty years old, may contain a portion 
 of the vintages of thirty or forty seasons. The 
 better class of wine merchants at Xeres never ship 
 wine for England till it is two years old. The higher 
 qualities of Sherry are made up of wine the bulk of 
 which is from three to five years old; and this is 
 mixed in the older wines. From the gradual mix- 
 ture, therefore, of the wines of various ages, no wine 
 can be less a natural wine than Sherry. The Amon- 
 tillado is a dry kind of Sherry, abounding in a dry, 
 nutty flavour. It is very light in colour, and is often 
 used to restore the colour of Sherries of too deep
 
 362 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 a brown. It sells much dearer than other Sherry 
 wines. The Malaga Sherry very much resembles 
 the wine of Xeres, and large quantities are exported 
 to foreign countries as genuine Sherry. 2001. have 
 been paid for a first-rate cask of Malaga. 
 
 On the Portuguese wine called Port I shall not 
 waste many words. When dry and old it is a good 
 winter wine for old people, if they restrict themselves 
 to a glass or two. 
 
 A good glass of genuine Madeira which has gone 
 the rounds, is good after soup, but the wine is no 
 longer fashionable. 
 
 The only Italian wines worth drinking are the 
 Montefiascone, Montepulciano, and Vino d'Asti. 
 Many of these wines are too harsh, and some of them 
 are too thick and sweet for a French or English 
 palate. 
 
 Some of the wines of Hungary are very tolerable. 
 The Tokay wine is exquisite. Even the Maslas, 
 which is a diluted Tokay, is a splendid wine ; soft, 
 oily, and stomachic. A glass of it may be had any 
 day after dinner, at about \0d. or Is. English, in the 
 Speise Saal of the Schwann, at Vienna, where I in 
 my youth consumed many a bottle of Tokay. The 
 Vermuth is a stomachic mixture, too much bepraised 
 by those who have never tasted it ; indeed, as much 
 overpraised as the Creme d Absinthe. All the Greek 
 wines are also over-rated. There are tuns of them 
 not worth the amount of a farrier's yearly bill for
 
 On lFines, Ancient and Modern. 363 
 
 shoeing a dog ; or if you wish the Gallic phrase, " ne 
 valent pas les quatres fers d'un chien." 
 
 The Constantia wine of the Cape, though much 
 liked by Frenchmen of seventy and 'upwards, and 
 Frenchwomen above forty, never can be generally 
 a favourite with Englishmen. There are some few 
 Russian wines. At Kaflfa, in the Crimea, they pro- 
 duce a Champagne very nearly as good as either the 
 growth of the Borough or Lambeth. 
 
 Of New South Wales wines a word or two. I 
 learned with much pleasure that the French, and all 
 other wines, are now tried in that colony ; and that 
 the climate is particularly well suited to the growth 
 of the vine. The preparation and keeping of the 
 wine must, however, be much more attended to than 
 heretofore. At the Cape, too, the English wine- 
 growers have gone on very progressively from year 
 to year in ameliorating their Pontacs. The best 
 white Capes fetch, since their flinty character is 
 diminishing, prices as high as Sherries of middling 
 qualities. Such prices were, however, encouraged 
 perhaps by the import duties on colonial wine being 
 only half the amount levied on foreign grown. As 
 these Cape wines are now so pure as to mix well 
 with Xeres wines, the conscientious London dealer, 
 of course, largely availed himself of a colonial-grown 
 article to mix with Sherry wines for English country 
 consumption. 
 
 Two works have recently been published on wine,
 
 364 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 in which may be found chapters dedicated to the 
 wines of Southern Africa, Greece, the Western 
 Archipelago, and to the wines of Columbia, Aus- 
 tralia, &c. But notwithstanding these efforts to in- 
 troduce new vintages from Italy, Greece, Hungary, 
 Australia, and Southern Africa, elderly and middle- 
 aged men of the present generation are certain still 
 to adhere to the old wines which their fathers and 
 grandfathers consumed for the last half-century. It 
 may, I think, even be doubted whether the use of 
 any new vintages can become general (supposing them 
 to be as good or better than the old) before the end of 
 the present century or A.D. 1900, from which coming 
 epoch we are still removed by an interval of seven 
 and thirty years. It would, therefore, be the idlest 
 of idle follies in me to recommend to any host to fill 
 his cellar with new vintages of which his guests knew 
 nothing, and which they might not relish. The aim 
 of a host, now as heretofore, should be to have choice 
 wines and liqueurs, all excellent of their kind. Per- 
 sons of moderate fortune should look to the excel- 
 lence of the quality of the wines, rather than to the 
 variety of their stock. With good bins of Sherry, 
 Madeira, Port, Claret (white and red), Champagne, 
 Hock, and Burgundy, any gentleman is in a position 
 to entertain his guests worthily. Larger quantities 
 of Sherry, Port, Madeira, and first-rate Claret, may 
 be laid in than of lighter wines, for of these latter 
 the consumption will be necessarily less.
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 365 
 
 At most London dinners in the season, Champagne, 
 Sauterne, Barsac, Rhenish and Moselle wines are pro- 
 duced ; but of the four latter wines scarcely more than 
 a bottle of each is used, though three or four bottles of 
 Champagne may be consumed, in a party of twelve. 
 But, notwithstanding that there is a more consider- 
 able consumption of Champagne than of other light 
 wines, it is not advisable that any private gentleman 
 should have a large stock of this wine in his cellar, 
 as after a twelvemonth it is apt to get ropy, and to 
 require fresh bottling. But of the vins de garde, 
 such as Madeira, Sherry, Port, first-rate Claret, and 
 Burgundy, a host may profitably cellar as large a 
 quantity as his fortune will allow. Of one thing, 
 however, every purchaser should convince himself 
 before he purchases a single bottle, and that is, that 
 it is impossible to have good wine at a low price. 
 The finest vintages of wine are always scarce and 
 dear ; and the finest vintages must, like other and 
 inferior vintages, be matured before they are fit to 
 drink. A considerable efflux of time is necessary 
 for this, so that there is interest on the original cost 
 of the wine, as well as the interest on its keep, to be 
 added to the prime or original cost. This is so if 
 the wine be imported direct from the wine-grower ; 
 but if it be obtained from the merchant or dealer in 
 this country, his profit, as well as the skill, labour, 
 and industry he has applied, must all be additional 
 items in the price. The idea of low-priced wine is
 
 366 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 therefore a mere myth ; and, whether at the sales of 
 private gentlemen's stock or otherwise, good wine 
 generally fetches its full value in London. It is said 
 that, at the sales of deceased gentlemen in Dublin 
 and Edinburgh, few wines, unless some exceedingly 
 rare specimens, fetch above 60s. per dozen ; but in 
 London it is very common, at private sales, for Port 
 and Sherry to fetch double as much as this. 
 
 The best way for any gentleman desiring to stock 
 a cellar, is to go to a first-rate wine merchant of 
 position and character. Such a man will deal honestly, 
 and give his customer a good article, though he may 
 charge what is called in the trade a long price for 
 it. If gentlemen have personal friends or connections 
 at Cadiz in whom they can confide to send them 
 wine in the piece, they may lay in Amontillado, 
 Montilla, or Manzinilla, at 105. or 12s. a dozen less 
 than they can obtain them of the wine merchants 
 in England. Anything like a first-rate Amontillado 
 sells among English wine merchants at from 72s. to 
 845. the dozen, while Manzinilla and Montilla range 
 at from 60s, to 705. 
 
 Fabulous prices are given for old Ports and East 
 India Sherries and Madeiras, at the sales of well- 
 known connoisseurs in wine. Many East India Sher- 
 ries have sold for nine and ten guineas a dozen, and 
 much of the late Mr. Justice Talfourd's Port went 
 for eleven and twelve guineas a dozen. Though the 
 wine was excellent, this was unquestionably a fancy
 
 On Wines t Ancient and Modern. 367 
 
 price. There is no need to give so large a sum for old 
 and first-rate Port. Any man of ordinary acumen 
 and intelligence, in addressing himself to a first-rate 
 wine house in London may have excellent, if not 
 first-rate, Port at from three to four guineas a 
 dozen, and considerably cheaper if he buys it in the 
 wood. 
 
 First-rate Clarets have been rising in price during 
 the last five or six years ; but even in London first- 
 rate Clarets ought to be and are procurable at from 
 four to five guineas a dozen, and the best sparkling 
 Champagne at about the same price, or a shade lower. 
 Sillery Champagne of the very highest quality is sold 
 by wine merchants at 61. the dozen. Burgundies of 
 the highest qualities are rare, and difficult to find 
 good ; but excellent Beaune and Chablis can be ob- 
 tained at two guineas the dozen in London, and 
 considerably cheaper if imported direct. 
 
 As to the dietetic qualities of the wine, I would 
 remark that those wines which contain a sufficient 
 quantity of alcohol, and which have undergone a 
 complete fermentation, stimulate and accelerate di- 
 gestion. Among these are Madeira, Sherry, Port, 
 Rhone, and Rousillon wines. The most salutary 
 wines are those which contain a moderate quantity of 
 alcohol, as old Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Cham- 
 pagne. The modern practice of taking a great variety 
 of wines at table cannot be commended. It is de- 
 cidedly injurious to health and digestion, more espe-
 
 368 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 cially when sweet succeed to slightly acidulated 
 wines, or wines of much body to very light wines. 
 
 I should say that the best red Burgundy was the 
 Romance Conti, and the best white the Morachet. 
 But good vintages of Poniard, Volnay, Xuits, and 
 Chambertin, are excellent. Burgundy, however, is 
 a wine of which only a small quantity should be 
 drank, as it is very heating. 
 
 Among the Champagne wines the most esteemed 
 growths are those of Ai, Sillery, and Epernay ; and 
 among the Rousillon and Rhine wines, red and white 
 Hermitage, Cote Roti, and St. Peray. 
 
 The best growths of Bordeaux red wines are La- 
 fitte, La Tour, Chateau Margaux, and Haut Brion. 
 Among the second class of red wines the best are 
 the Monton, the Rauzan, and the Leoville ; and 
 among the third class are the Kir wan. the Chateau 
 
 O 
 
 d'Issau, and Lagrange. 
 
 A glass of Chablis, Barsac, Sauterne, or Bucellas, 
 may be taken after the oysters, while a glass of old 
 Madeira or Sherry follows the soup. In the middle 
 of the first course, in France, they serve Champagne 
 or sparkling Burgundy ; and toward the end of the 
 first course, the finer kinds of Claret, white and red. 
 With the roast comes Burgundy and Hermitage, 
 and these wines, as well as Bordeaux, may be served 
 with game. With the dessert it is the custom in 
 France to offer Malmsey and Malaga ; but these 
 wines are rarely produced in England, though white
 
 On Wines, Ancient and Modern. 
 
 369 
 
 and red Constantia, and Frontignan are frequently 
 produced. 
 
 In the last sixteen years the consumption of Cham- 
 pagne has doubled in England. In 1831, the quan- 
 tity of French wine imported amounted, in round 
 numbers, to 254,000 gallons, whereas in 1861 it 
 amounted to 2,227,000 gallons. 
 
 B B
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE CELLAR FOE, WINES. 
 
 cellar for good wine should be a 
 suitable lodging for this welcome guest 
 in every well arranged household. A 
 l great deal of wine, good and middling, 
 is spoiled beyond redemption from being deposited in 
 a bad cellar. There are many families in this great 
 metropolis who, if well lodged themselves, never 
 bestow a thought on how their wine is lodged. Yet 
 
 O c? 
 
 this is a matter of essential importance if the master 
 of a household consults his own health or the health 
 of his guests. 
 
 A wine cellar should neither be too hot nor too cold. 
 It should neither be near the kitchen, the scullery, nor 
 the laundry fire ; nor yet out of doors, exposed to 
 every change of temperature in this variable climate. 
 No gentleman valuing the quality of his wine, or the 
 health of those who are to drink it, would convert a 
 spare bed-room, or cock-loft, or cupboard into a wine 
 cellar, though in a warm climate Madeira may be
 
 The Cellar for Wines. 371 
 
 improved by being placed under the sun's rays on the 
 leads of dwelling-houses, a system much practised in 
 the great cities of America. A cellar, as Mr. Red- 
 ding clearly and succinctly says, " should be a cellar 
 in material, site, temperature, and solidity of con- 
 struction." The finer and more delicate wines grow 
 turbid, ropy, or sharp when stowed away in unfitting 
 localities. In such a city as London, all one can 
 hope for or expect is to secure a cellar of an equal 
 temperature, solidly constructed of brick or stone. 
 The variations of the external atmosphere should not 
 be allowed to penetrate within it. As Barry wrote 
 ninety years ago, " the structure of a wine cellar 
 ought to be such as will most effectually defend the 
 wine from the frequent variations of the external air, 
 adjacent fires, and the agitation of carriages, and to 
 preserve an equal degree of heat, though some varia- 
 tions must be unavoidable." 
 
 Lighter wines require a colder cellar than the 
 strong wines ; but, as a general direction, the tem- 
 perature of a cellar ought to be from about forty to 
 fifty degrees. The size of a cellar ought to be in 
 proportion to the quantity of wine for which it is 
 designed. The situation ought to be low and dry. 
 Double doors are an advantage to every cellar, as 
 one may be closed before the other is opened, and 
 thus the changes of the external atmosphere cannot 
 penetrate. Cellars in private houses are rarely ven- 
 tilated, and thus foul air is frequently generated. In
 
 372 The Cellar for Wines. 
 
 cities the back of the house is the best place for the 
 wine cellar, as the bottles are not then shaken in their 
 bins by the motion of carriages. 
 
 No sink or sewer should be in the neighbourhood 
 of a cellar, and no vegetable or animal matter should 
 be deposited adjacent to it. A wine cellar should 
 contain no other liquor than wine. Champagne 
 should be carefully laid on laths or in sand, and 
 never placed on their bottoms, as from this cause 
 the wine will speedily lose its effervescence. Quarry 
 sand is the best substance in which to imbed the 
 bottles, and laths should be placed between each tier.
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 LUXURIES OF THE TABLE IN FRANCE AND IN ENGLAND, 
 IN MEDLXVAL AND MODERN TIMES. 
 
 CCORDING to Brantome, the first nobleman in 
 France who introduced at court a more luxurious 
 table was the Marshal St. Andre. The historian 
 thus speaks of him : " Et certes estoit par trop 
 excessif en friandises et delicatesse de viandes, 
 tant de chair que de poisson et autres friands mangers, telle- 
 ment que quelqu'un qui n'eust ouy que de sa vie delicieuse 
 n'eust jamais pu n'y en juger n'y croire qu'il fust este si Grand 
 Capitaine." Among the kings of France, the first who distin- 
 guished himself by this sumptuosity of fare was Francis I., and 
 he carried his table extravagance to a foolish and absurd 
 extent ; for besides the unequalled luxury of the royal table, 
 there were, according to Brantome, the tables of the grand master, 
 of the great chamberlain, of the chamberlain, of the gentlemen 
 of the chamber, of the gentlemen servants, and ever so many 
 others. The graphic memoir writer, the Seigneur de Bourdeille 
 adds : " Et toutes si bien servies que rien n'y manquoit. Et 
 ce qui estoit plus remarquable c'est que dans un village, dans 
 les forets, dans les assemblies, Ton y estoit traite comme si Ton 
 eust este dans Paris." 
 
 Henri II. and Francis II. kept as good a table as their father 
 and grandfather ; but things changed under Charles IX. and 
 Henry HI., of whom Brantome says, "C'etait par boutades que 
 Ton y faisoit bonne chere, car le plus souvent la marmite" se 
 renversoit; chose que halt beaucoup le courtesan qui aimea
 
 374 Appendix. 
 
 avoir bouche a cour et a 1' armee parceque alors il ne lui conte 
 rien." 
 
 Henry IV., for a long time, was as " heinously unprovided " 
 (to use a Shakespearian phrase) as his royal predecessor. His 
 finances were so straitened, say the " Memoirs of the Duke of 
 Angouleme, " que souvent sa table manquoit, et qu'il se trouvoit 
 contraint d'aller manger chez quelqu'un de ses serviteurs." Louis 
 XIII. established, in a great degree, the luxury of Francis I. ; and 
 Louis XIV., to use the words of Le Grand, effaced even the re- 
 membrance of the repasts of the most luxurious of former kings, 
 by his elaborate feasts. It was under his reign that " collations 
 grasses " were eaten after dinner. Madame de Sevigne writes, 
 in 1680, " La Princessede Tarente m'a faite une collation en 
 viande ; je la lui ai rendue. C'est une sotte mode : je pense 
 que cela ne durera pas." Belon, who published his " Traite 
 des Oiseaux," in 1555, describes how magnificently the dinner 
 tables were served in that day. " Pour entrees," he says, " nous 
 avons mille petits deguisemens de chair comme potages, fricas- 
 sees, hachis, salades. Le second service est de roti, de bouilli, 
 de diverses viandes, tout de boucherie que de gibier. Pour 
 issue de table choses froides comme fruictages, laictages, et 
 doulceurs, rissoles, petits choux tout chauds, petits gateaux 
 caveux, ratons de fromage, pommes de capendu, salade de 
 citron ou de grenades." 
 
 Gontier, who wrote in the seventeenth century, complains 
 of the luxury of the dinners in 1668, at which period, he says, 
 there were no less than eight courses. The " Mercure Galant" 
 gives a description of the royal banquet that was given at 
 Versailles, for the marriage of Mademoiselle de Blois, natural 
 daughter of Louis XIV., with the Prince of Conti. At this 
 feast there were three courses of 160 dishes at each course. 
 The first course was half soups and half entrees ; the second, 
 half in entremets and half in roasts ; the third, dessert. The 
 roasts were all small, and the ortolans alone cost 16,000 francs. 
 
 Later in the reign of Louis XIV., the mode of serving din- 
 ners in France a good deal resembled the system followed in 
 the present day. In the entertainment given by Louvois to 
 the Queen at Meudon, covers were laid for nineteen, and there 
 were four courses. 
 
 The first course consisted of forty entrees, the second of forty 
 roasts and salads, the third of hot and cold entremets, and the
 
 Luxuries of the Table. 
 
 375 
 
 last course of dessert. In the kitchen of Louis XV. there were 
 about thirty cooks employed, and four patissiers-bouche. 
 
 I now proceed to give a few bills of fare, from the days of 
 Louis XIV. to the present time. 
 
 The first is the menu of a dinner given 212 years ago by 
 Matthew Mole, keeper of the seals in France to Mons. Le 
 Prince Louis de Bourbon-Conde, on the 9th August, 1652 : 
 
 MENETJ DU DISNER QUI FUST DONNE' PAR MESSIRE MATHIEU 
 MOLE, GARDE DBS SCEAUX DE FRANCE, A MONSIEUR L,B 
 PRINCE (Louis DE BOURBON-CONDE), LE SAMEDI, 9 AOUT, 
 1652. 
 
 XIV. potages maigres, 
 
 dont 
 
 1 aux ecrevisses du Rhyn et 
 vin d'Espaigne, 
 
 et 1'aultre 
 aux huistres d'Angoulesme et 
 
 oeufs de perdrix rouges, 
 
 lesquelsservisaux deuxcostes 
 
 de son Altesse. 
 
 XIV. plats de. poissons. 
 1 un saulmon de vingt escus. 
 1 brochet de 19 liures. 
 1 carpe aux ceufs, de Cham- 
 
 plustreux. 
 
 1 truite de Suysse, 24 liures. 
 1 turbot duHasvre de Grasce. 
 1 matelotte de lamperoyes 
 
 d'Angers. 
 1 hochepot de gibiers de 
 
 riuiesre. 
 
 1 gibelotte de poissons mesles. 
 1 anguille a la broche, 9 
 
 liures 16 sols. 
 J paste de barbottes du 
 
 Khosne. 
 
 1 fricassee de lottes aux as- 
 
 perges. 
 1 de morue fraische aux gro- 
 
 seilles uerdes. 
 1 d'aloses de Rouen grillees. 
 
 1 d'esperlants farinnes au 
 
 cedrat. 
 
 XIV. plats de rost. 
 
 6 de poissons cuits au bleu. 
 4 de poissons & la poisle. 
 4 de gibiers de riuiesre, a la 
 broche. 
 
 XIV. sallades. 
 3 de legumes cuits. 
 3 d'herbes uerdes. 
 
 6 d'oeufs accommodes di- 
 uersement. 
 
 2 de citrons musques, 10 escus. 
 
 XIV. assicttes gauffrees. 
 
 7 de pastisseries a fonds de 
 
 cresmc. 
 
 7 de pastisseries i fonds de 
 fruict.
 
 376 Appendix. 
 
 XVIII. jattes de frmcts et aultres, 
 
 desquels 
 
 6 agnanats touts entiers 
 et 12 pacquets de fleurs de joncquilles a confire. 
 
 Dont cxii. escus pour le coust d'yceulx fruicts et fleurs, et 
 pour le tout de la despense generalle, mil neuf cens soixante et 
 cinq liures, et unze sols, 
 
 Que certifie iuste et uallable : 
 
 MAUGIS. 
 
 Apprevvay cette partie de Mavgis. 
 Bon povr 1965 livres 11 sols, que playra payer 
 a Ivy maistre Lordier de Lestanville. 
 MOLE. 
 
 The second is the menu of a supper of the Regent Orleans, 
 moitie gras, moitie maigre : 
 
 MENU D'UNE TABLE DE DOUZE COUVERTS. POUR UN SOUPER 
 
 DU RE GENT, SERVI MOITIE GRAS, MOITIE MAIGRE. 
 
 Pour le milieu une grosse piece, 
 
 Deux potages pour les bouts de table : 
 
 Dix entrees, savoir, quatre jattes et six plats a festons, &c. 
 
 PREMIER SERVICE. 1 de poulets piques de persil, 
 
 1 piece de boeuf said, garnie avec une sauce a 1>es P a - 
 
 de carottes et de patates. S nole dessous ( 2 P<>ulets). 
 
 1 de brochets a la polonaise 
 
 Deux potages, savoir: ( un brochet). 
 
 1 de perches a la genevoise 
 1 maigre, couhs de brochet , r . 
 
 (6 perches, une bouteille 
 (un brochet). \ . ,, N 
 
 de vm blanc). 
 1 de navets (un canard des- 
 
 sus )- Les six plats a festons, savoir: 
 
 Dixentrees, S avoir: quatre dans * de ^"reroute au maigre 
 quatre jattes, et six dans six ( un brocliet )- 
 
 plats a festons. l q uart ^on d'huitres, cuites 
 
 avec une pinte de creme. 
 Les quatre jattes, savoir: j d , une noix Je veau ^ Ja na . 
 
 1 de filets de mouton glaces et politaine. 
 
 picjues, et des cornichons 1 de perdreaux en levraut (3 
 par-dessus. perdreaux).
 
 Luxuries of the Table. 
 
 377 
 
 1 d'anguilles a la bavaroise (2 
 
 .belles anguilles). 
 1 demi-cent de belles ecre- 
 
 visses. 
 
 Deux plats de poissons pour 
 relever les potages, savoir : 
 
 1 d'une carpe a 1'anglaise. 
 1 de Water Fisch (2 douzaines 
 
 de petites perches, quatre 
 
 petits brochetons). 
 
 SECOND SEHVICE. 
 
 1 reins de sanglier marines. 
 
 Deuxplats de patisserie, savoir: 
 
 1 d'un gateau fourre de mar- 
 
 melade d'abricots. 
 1 d'une tourte a la glace (6 
 
 pcches a 1'eau-de-vie, une 
 
 pinte de creme). 
 
 Quatre plats Ue rot, savoir : 
 
 1 d'eperlans frits, trempes 
 
 dans des ceufs et panes. 
 1 de 2 poulardes. 
 1 de soles frites (2 belles soles). 
 1 de 2 canards sauvages. 
 
 Quatre salades differentes avec 
 quatre differentes sauces. 
 
 Quatre petits entremets chauds, 
 savoir: 
 
 1 de ris de veau piques et 
 
 glaces (6 ris de veau). 
 1 de pieds de cochon a la 
 
 Sainte-Menehould. 
 1 de petits pois sees a la creme, 
 
 d'oeufs poches dessus. 
 1 de pommes de reinette a la 
 
 chinoise (6 oranges con- 
 
 fites). 
 
 The following is the menu of a supper of Louis XV. at La 
 Muette, on 18th February, 1749 : 
 
 SOCPER DU Roi LOUIS XV. i LA MuETTE, LE SAMEDI, 18 
 
 FEVKIER, 1749. 
 
 Deux grandes entrees. 
 Un rable de mouton de mon- 
 
 tagne. 
 Un quartier de veau, une 
 
 blanquette dans le cuisseau. 
 
 Deux oilles. 
 \ au riz. 
 1 a la jambe de bois. 
 
 Deux potages. 
 1 a la faubonne. 
 1 aux choux verts. 
 
 Seize entrees. 
 
 1 de cotelettes melees. 
 
 1 de petits pates a la Bechameil. 
 
 1 de langues de moutons a la 
 
 duchesse. 
 1 de petits pigeons aux truf- 
 
 fes entieres. 
 1 de haricot de mouton aux 
 
 navets. 
 
 1 de boudins d't'crevisses. 
 1 de diets de poularde It la 
 
 d'Armagnac.
 
 378 
 
 Appendix. 
 
 1 de matelote a la Dauphine. 
 1 de noix de veau aux epi- 
 
 nards. 
 1 de membres de faisan a la 
 
 Conty. 
 1 de filets de perdreau a la 
 
 Perigueux. 
 
 1 depetits poulets a I'Urlub'.e. 
 1 de ris de veau a la Sainte- 
 
 Menehould. 
 1 sarcelles a 1'orange. 
 1 lapereaux en crepines. 
 1 poules de Caux en escalopes. 
 
 Quatre releves. 
 
 1 dindonneau a la peau de 
 goret, sauce Robert. 
 
 1 pate de becassines. 
 
 1 quartier de sanglier. 
 
 1 noix de boeuf aux choux- 
 fleurs. 
 
 Deux grands entremets. 
 
 1 pate de jambon. 
 1 gateau de Savoie. 
 
 Quatre moyens. 
 
 2 de buissons d'ecrevisses. 
 2 gateaux au fromage. 
 
 Unit plats de rots non mention- 
 nes. Seize entremets. 
 
 1 de cardes au jus. 
 
 1 de cretes au bouillon. 
 
 1 d' amourettes. 
 
 1 de foies gras grilles. 
 
 1 de ragouts meles a la creme. 
 
 1 de creme au chocolat. 
 
 1 d'abaisse de massepaln. 
 
 1 d'oeufs a Finfante. 
 
 1 d'huitres au gratin. 
 
 1 de pattes de dindon a Fes- 
 
 pagnole. 
 1 d'asperges. 
 1 de truffles a la cendre. 
 1 de creme glacee. 
 1 de canelons meringues. 
 1 de choux -fleurs. 
 
 Here is'a Carte Dinatoire for twelve persons, for the table of 
 the Citoyen Directeur et General Barras, le Degadi, trente 
 floreal : 
 
 CARTE DINATOIKE POUB JLA TABLE r>u CITOYEN DIRECTEUR ET 
 GENERAL BARRAS, LE DE'CADI, 30 FLOREAL. DOUZE PER- 
 SONNES. 
 
 1 potage. 
 
 1 releve. 
 6 entrees. 
 
 2 plats de rot. 
 6 entremets. 
 
 1 salade. 
 
 (Autographes de M.Theodore Yivien.) 
 24 plats de dessert. 
 
 Le potage aux petits ognons 
 a la ci-devant minime. 
 
 Le releve ; un tronc,on d'es- 
 turgeon a la broche.
 
 Luxuries of the Table. 
 
 Les six entrees. 
 
 1 d'un saute de filets de turbot 
 a 1'homme de confiance ci- 
 devant maitre-d'hotel. 
 
 1 d'anguilles a la tartare. 
 
 1 concombresfarcisalamoelle. 
 
 1 vol-au-vent de blanc de 
 volaille a la Bechameil. 
 
 1 d'un ci-devant Saint-Pierre, 
 sauce aux capres. 
 
 1 de filets de perdrix en an- 
 neaux. 
 
 Les six entremets. 
 1 d'ceufs a la neige. 
 1 de betteraves blanches, sau- 
 
 tees au jambon. 
 1 d'une gelee au vin de Ma- 
 
 dere. 
 1 de beignets de creme a la 
 
 fleur d'orange. 
 1 de lentilles a la ci-devant 
 
 Reine, a la creme au blond 
 
 de veau. 
 1 de culs d'artichauts a la 
 
 ravigote. 
 1 salade ; celeri en remoulade. 
 
 Les deux plats de rut. 
 
 1 de goujons du departement. 
 
 1 d'une carpe au court-bouil- 
 lon. 
 Trop de poisson. Otez les goujons. Le reste est bien. 
 
 Qu'on n'oublie pas encore de mettre des coussins sur les sieges 
 
 pour les citoyennes Tallien, Talma, Beauharnais, Hinguerloi 
 
 et Mirande. 
 
 Et pour cinq heures tres -precises. 
 
 Signe BAHRAS. 
 
 Faites venir des glaces de Veloni. 
 d'autres. 
 
 Je n'en veux 
 
 pas 
 
 Here is a menu of a dinner served to the Emperor Napoleon 
 and his family, on the Samedi Saint, 1811 : 
 
 MENU D'UN DINER DE LA FAMILLE BONAPARTE, AUX TUILERIES. 
 
 Deux potages. 
 
 Au macaroni et puree de mar- 
 rons. 
 
 Deux releves. 
 Une piece de bccuf bouillie, 
 
 ramie de legumes. 
 Un brochet a la Charnbord. 
 
 Quatre entrees. 
 
 Cotelettes de mouton a la 
 Soubise. 
 
 Perdreaux a la Montglas. 
 Fricassee de poulet a la cheva- 
 
 licre. 
 Filets de canard au fumet. 
 
 Deux rutis. 
 
 Un chapon au cresson. 
 Un^gigot d'agneau. 
 
 Deux plats de legumes. 
 Des choux-fleurs au gratin. 
 Du culeri-navet au jus.
 
 380 
 
 Appendix. 
 
 Qrw.tr e entremets au sucre. 
 
 Creme au cafe. Genoise decoree. 
 
 Gelee d' orange. Gauffres a 1'allemande. 
 
 Now comes the first dinner en maigre which Louis XVIII. 
 had at Compiegne. It is certainly a most recherche one : 
 
 PREMIER DINER DU ROI Louis XVIIL, A COMPIEGNE. 
 (En Maigre.) 
 
 Quatre potages. 
 
 Potage de poisson a la proven- 
 gale. 
 
 Nouilles al'essence de racines. 
 
 Potage a la d' Artois a 1'essence 
 de racines. 
 
 Filets de lottes aux ecrevisses. 
 
 Quatre releves de poissons. 
 
 Croquettes de brochet a la 
 
 Bechameil. 
 Vol-au-vent garni de bran- 
 
 dade de morue aux truffes. 
 Filets de soles a la Dauphine. 
 Orly de filets de carrelets. 
 
 Quatre grosses pieces. 
 
 Turbot au beurre d'anchois. 
 Grosse anguille a la Regence. 
 Bar a la venitienne. 
 Saumon, sauce aux huitres. 
 
 Trente-deux entrees. 
 
 Escalopes de truites aux fines 
 
 herbes. 
 Saute de filets de plongeons 
 
 au supreme. 9 
 
 Vol-an-vent de poissons a la 
 
 Nesle. 
 Petites caisses de foies de 
 
 lottes. 
 
 Les croquettes de brockets. 
 
 Raie bouclee a la hollandaise. 
 Bayonnaise de filets de soles. 
 Quenelles de poisson a 1'ita- 
 
 lienne. 
 Grondins grilles, sauce au 
 
 beurre. 
 
 La grosse anguille a la Regence. 
 
 Blanquette de turbot a la Be- 
 chameil. 
 
 Pain de carpes au beurre 
 d'ecrevisses. 
 
 Salade de filets de brochet aux 
 laitues. 
 
 Filets d'alose a 1'oseille. 
 
 La marinade de bonne morue. 
 
 Plies a la poulette. 
 Pate chaud de lamproies. 
 Pluviers de iner en entree de 
 
 broche. 
 
 Breme a la maitre-d'hotel. 
 Rougets a la hollandaise. 
 Filets de sarcelles a la bigar- 
 
 ade. 
 Timbale de macaroni garnie 
 
 de laitances. 
 Emince de turbotin gratine.
 
 Luxuries of the Table. 
 
 381 
 
 Lesjilets de soles a {a Daitphine. 
 
 Perches auvin de Champagne. 
 Darne d'esturgeon au beurre 
 
 de Montpelier. 
 Turban de filets de merlans a 
 
 la Conty. 
 Escalopes de niorue a la pro- 
 
 vengale. 
 
 La bar a la vnitienne. 
 
 Papillotes de surmulet a la 
 d'Huxelles. 
 
 Boudins de poisson a la Riche- 
 lieu. 
 
 Vives froides a la provenqale. 
 
 Saute de lottes aux truffes. 
 
 La orly de filets de carrelets. 
 
 Caisse d'huitres aux fines 
 
 herbes. 
 Escalopes de barbue en crous- 
 
 tade. 
 Filets de poules d'eau a la 
 
 bourguignonne. 
 Eperlans a 1'anglaise. 
 
 Quatre grosses pieces <f entre- 
 mets. 
 
 L'hermitage indicn. 
 Le pavilion rustique. 
 Le pavilion hollandais. 
 L'hermitage russe. 
 
 Quatre plats de ruts pour les 
 contre-Jtancs. 
 
 Aiguillettes de goujons. 
 Poules de mer. 
 Sarcelles au citron. 
 Petites truites au bleu. 
 
 Trente-deux entremets 
 
 Ccleri k 1'essence maigre. 
 Gelee de punch. 
 (Eufs brouilles aux truffes. 
 Petits nougats de poinmes. 
 
 Les aiguillettes de goiyons. 
 
 Gateau renverse au gros 
 
 sucre. 
 
 Truffes a 1'italienne. 
 Pudding au vin de Malvoisie. 
 Choux-fleurs au parmesan. 
 
 L'hermitage Indien. 
 
 Laitues au jus de racines. 
 Blanc-manger a la creme. 
 Buisson de homards. 
 Gateaux glaccs k la Condu. 
 
 Les poules de mer. 
 Petits souffles de fecule. 
 (Eufs poches a. la ravigote. 
 Gelee de citrons moulee. 
 Champignons a 1'espagnole. 
 Concombres au veloute. 
 Gelee de cafe Moka. 
 CEufs poches aux epinards. 
 Genoises en croissant perlees. 
 
 Les sarcelles au citron. 
 
 Gateaux glact's aux pistaches. 
 
 Crevettes en herisson. 
 
 From age bavarois aux abri- 
 
 cots. 
 Les pommes de terre k la hol- 
 
 landaise. 
 
 L'hermitage Russe. 
 Gardes au jus d'esturgeon. 
 Pommes au riz glacees.
 
 382 
 
 Appendix. 
 
 Truffes a la serviette. 
 Petits gateaux de Pithiviers. 
 
 Les petites truites au bleu. 
 
 Panachees en diademe au gros 
 
 sucre. 
 Petites omelettes a la puree 
 
 de champignons. 
 Gelee des quatre fruits. 
 Salsifis a la ravijrote. 
 
 Pour extra, dix assiettes de pe- 
 tits souffles en croustades. 
 
 Souffles aux macarons amers. 
 Souffles a 1' orange. 
 
 Dessert. 
 8 Corbeilles et 10 corbil- 
 
 lons. 
 
 12 Assiettes montees. 
 10 Compotiers. 
 24 Assiettes et 6 jattes. 
 
 There is now the bill of fare of the dinner given by the Em- 
 peror Alexander, on his birthday, at Vertus, near Chalons, on 
 the llth September, 1815. Covers were laid for 300, and the 
 dinner began with 600 plates of oysters, for which 300 lemons 
 were provided : 
 
 DINER DE I/EMPEREUR ALEXATJDRE, A VERTUS, PRES CHALONS- 
 SUR-MARNE, LE 11 SEPTEMBRE, 1815, JOUR ASNIVERSAIRE 
 DE LA NAISSANCE DE SA MAJESTE. 
 
 (Table de 300 couverts, servie a la russe.) 
 600 assiettes d'huitres, 300 citrons. 
 
 PREMIER SERVICE. 
 
 Les huitres, les citrons. 
 
 Trois potages. 
 Potage a la jardiniere pour 
 
 150 personnes. 
 Soupe froide a la russe pour 
 
 150 personnes. 
 Crecy aux petits croutons 
 
 pour 150 personnes. 
 
 Vingt-huit hors-d'oeuvres. 
 De petits vol-au-vent a la 
 puree de gibier. 
 
 Vingt-huit entrees froides. 
 
 De galantines de poulardes a 
 la gelee. 
 
 Vingt-huit grosses pieces. 
 
 De filets de bceuf au vin de 
 Madere, demi-espagnole. 
 
 Cent douze entrees. 
 
 50 de filets de soles a la Orly, 
 garnis d'une escalope de 
 saumon. 
 
 12 de cailles aux fines herbes
 
 Luxuries of the Table. 
 
 383 
 
 dans des bordures de ra- 
 cines. 
 
 25 de sautes de poulets au 
 supreme, ragout a la Tou- 
 louse. 
 
 25 de timbales de macaronis 
 au chasseur. 
 
 Vingt-huit plats de rots. 
 10 de poulets gras, 10 de din- 
 
 donneaux,8 longes de veau. 
 60 salades pour 300 per- 
 
 sonnes. 
 
 Cinquante entremets de 
 
 legumes. 
 
 25 d'epinards au veloute. 
 25 de haricots verts a 1'an- 
 
 glaise. 
 
 Cinquante-six entremets au 
 sucre. 
 
 De creraes fran9aises a la va- 
 
 nille et de genoises aux 
 
 amandes pralinees. 
 Huit souffles d'extra pour 
 
 etre places a portee de S. 
 
 M. Imperiale. 
 60 assiettes de patisseries de 
 
 petit four. 
 
 60 assiettes de fruits crus. 
 60 assiettes de fruits counts. 
 60 assiettes de fruits a 1'eau- 
 
 de-vie. 
 20 assiettes de fromages de 
 
 France, &c. 
 
 Underneath is the bill of fare of the first diplomatic dinner 
 given by the Duke of Wellington, when ambassador in Paris, 
 in 1815. It will be seen that the fare was simple, and most of 
 the dishes dressed in the English fashion : 
 
 PREMIER DINER DIPLOMATIQUE DE L'AMBASSADEUB D'ANGLE- 
 TERRE A PARIS. MENU D'UN SERVICE A L'ANGLAISE POUR 
 20 COUVERTS. 
 
 PREMIER SERVICE. 
 
 Potage. 
 
 1 potage de tete de veau en 
 fausse tartine. 
 
 Deux bouts de table. 
 1 d'un ilindon bouilli, sauce 
 
 au coleri. 
 1 rosbif aux pommes de terre. 
 
 Six entrees. 
 1 d'une tranche de saumon 
 
 bouillie, sauce aux capres. 
 
 Puree de navets. 
 1 de deux lapereaux, sauce 
 
 aux ognons. Choux-fleurs 
 
 sans sauce. 
 
 1 de quatre escalopes de veau. 
 1 de maquereaux bouillis, 
 
 sauce au fenouil. Epinards 
 
 bouillis a Tanglai-f. 
 1 deux poulets, sauce au
 
 384 
 
 Appendix. 
 
 persil. Puree de pommes 
 de terre. 
 1 de perdreaux etuves. Bread 
 
 SECOND SERVICE. 
 
 Milieu. 
 1 quartier de chevreuil a la 
 
 broche, sauce a la gelee de 
 
 groseilles. 
 
 1 d'une poularde rotie. 
 1 d'un levraut farci. 
 
 Deux salades. 
 1 d'herbes vertes. 
 1 de citrons entiers. 
 
 Six entremets. 
 
 1 d'une gelee devinde Madere. 
 
 1 d'un plum-pudding. 
 
 1 d'une tourte aux confitures. 
 
 1 de welches rabbits. 
 
 1 d'un pudding de riz. 
 
 1 d'une gelee de citrons. 
 
 Treize assiettes de dessert. 
 
 2 compotes. 
 
 4 assiettes de fruits crus. 
 2 de biscuits. 
 2 de mendiants. 
 2 de fromages. 
 1 assiette montee. 
 
 I conclude French bills of fare with a menu of a royal ban- 
 quet given at the Tuileries, on Twelfth-day, 1820, at which 
 Louis XVIII., Monsieur (afterwards Charles X.), and the 
 Duchess of Angouleme, the Duke and Duchess of Berri, 
 the Duke and Duchess of Orleans, the Duke and Duchess of 
 Bourbon were present: 
 
 MENU DU GRAND-COUVERT, ou BANQUET ROYAL AUX TUI- 
 LERIES, POUR LE JOUR DES RoiS, 6 JANVIER, 1820. 
 
 Deux potages. 
 
 Printanier de sante. 
 Bisque d'ecrevisses. 
 
 Quatre grosses pieces. 
 
 Faon de daim a la broche. 
 
 Turbot, sauce aux huitres et 
 aux moules. 
 
 Carpe a la Regence. 
 
 Casserole au riz a la Saint- 
 Hubert. 
 
 Seize entrees. 
 Filets places aux laitues. 
 
 Saute de filets de perdreaux 
 aux trufles. 
 
 Grenadins de filets de lape- 
 reaux a la Toulouse. 
 
 Cotelettes de chevreuil a la 
 Soubise. 
 
 Filets de lottes a la Villeroy, 
 sauce vcnitienne. 
 
 Quenelles de volailles au con- 
 somme reduit. 
 
 Attelets a la Bellevue a la 
 gelee. 
 
 Escalopes de levrauts au sang. 
 
 Poularde a 1'estragon.
 
 Luxuries of the Talle. 
 
 385 
 
 Cremeskis au veloute. 
 Blanquette cle filets de pou- 
 
 lardes a la Conty. 
 Perches a la waterfisch. 
 Poulets a la Reine a la Chevry. 
 Petits pates a la Bechameil. 
 Filets d'agneaux aux pointes 
 
 d'asperges. 
 Puree degibier a la polonaise. 
 
 Quatre grosses pieces. 
 Buisson d'ecrevisses. 
 Sultane a la Chantilly. 
 Souffle au fromage. 
 Jambon de sanglier glace. 
 
 Quatre plats de rots. 
 
 Faisans de Boheme. 
 Perdreaux rouges. 
 Eperlans frits. 
 Becasses du Morvan. 
 
 Seize entremets. 
 Asperges en branches. 
 
 Choux-fleurs au parmesan. 
 
 Champignons a la provencjale. 
 
 Truffes au vin de Champagne. 
 
 Laitues a 1'essence. 
 
 Epinards au consomme. 
 
 Salade a la piemontaise. 
 
 Concombres au consomme. 
 
 Gelee d' oranges. 
 
 Creme a I'anglaise. 
 
 Pannequets aux citrons con- 
 fits. 
 
 (Eufs poches au jus. 
 
 Gateaux souffles. 
 
 Macaroni aTitalienne. 
 
 Pommes au beurre de Van- 
 vres. 
 
 Gaufres a la namande. 
 
 Deux plombieres, extra. 
 Dessert. 
 
 8 corbeilles, 4 corbillons, et le 
 reste en proportion de 
 cette donnee. 
 
 At the period when luxurious tables became prevalent 
 in France, good cheer also prevailed in London. In the time 
 of Queen Mary, according to Maitland, luxury prevailed to such 
 an excessive degree in the sumptuousness and extravagance of 
 the city magistrates, that many of the principal citizens chose 
 rather to retire into the country than to serve expensive offices. 
 It was enacted by the Common Council, to prevent such extra- 
 vagances, that the mayor should have no more than one course 
 either at dinner or supper; and that, mi n n-nval dav, a flesh 
 day, a repast was to consist of no more than seven di>lie<. 
 whether hot or cold ; and on every festival day being a fish day, 
 of eight dishes; and on every ('(minimi flesh dav, six <li>hes ; and 
 on every common fish day, seven di>hes, exclusive of brawn, 
 collops witli '"JIT-, -alads, pot ago, butter, eggs, herrings, sprats, 
 and shrimps, together with all sorts of slidl-li-li and fruits. 
 
 Regulations were also issued for the aldermen, sheriff's, and 
 C C
 
 386 Appendix. 
 
 City companies at their several entertainments.* They were 
 to have neither swan, crane, nor bustard under the penalty of 
 forty shillings. 
 
 During the reign of Elizabeth, the city venison feasts became 
 offensive to the queen and her nobility. In consequence, a 
 letter, signed by the Lord Mayor and two aldermen, was 
 addressed to Lord Burleigh, in which these officials say, " For 
 avoyding the excessive spending of venison and other vitail in 
 the halles of this citie, which we understand to have been offen- 
 sive to her ma tie and the nobilitie, we have by act of common 
 counsel forbidden such festes hereafter to be kept, and have 
 restrained the same only to necessary metinges in w h also veni- 
 son is permitted as by copie of this act herewith sent into y r 
 L. may appere." These worshipful personages go on to assure 
 Lord Burleigh that, unless similar proceedings be adopted in 
 St. Martin's and Westminster, the restraints imposed on the 
 City of London would be of little use. 
 
 The golden age of cookery in modern times in England, 
 however, was the reign of Queen Anne. The Queen herself 
 was fond of good eating, and elaborate feasts became the cus- 
 tom among the nobility, gentry, and wealthy traders. In this 
 reign it was that Dr. King published his "Art of. Cookery," in 
 imitation of Horace's " Art of Poetry," making an attempt to 
 introduce French dishes. In an oft-quoted passage of his 
 poem he says : 
 
 " The French our relish help, and will supply 
 The want of things too gross by decency. 
 Our fathers most admired their sauces sweet, 
 And often asked for sugar with their meat ; 
 They butter'd currants on fat veal bestow'd, 
 And rumps of beef with virgin honey strew'd." 
 
 Sir John Hill, M.D., followed Dr. King, with " Mrs. Glasse's 
 Cookery Book," in which are some few receipts for French 
 dishes. The great Lord Chesterfield, however, was the first 
 nobleman who made the most strenuous efforts to introduce 
 French cookery. He engaged as his cook La Chapelle, a des- 
 cendant of the famous cook of Louis XIV. La Chapelle pub- 
 lished a treatise on cookery in three volumes, which is now 
 very rarely met with. It is entitled " The Modern Cook," by 
 
 * History of London, vol. L, p. 250.
 
 Luxuries of the Table. 387 
 
 Vincent La Chapelle, chief cook to the Earl of Chesterfield, 
 and was printed for the author in 1733, and sold by Nicholas 
 Prevost, a Frenchman, over against Southampton Street, 
 in the Strand. 
 
 About the period of the publication of this book, Lord 
 Chesterfield was lord steward of the household to George II., 
 and undoubtedly was the most renowned and fashionable host 
 in London. His dinners and suppers were then deemed per- 
 fection ; and these entertainments were one of the few items in 
 which his expenditure was liberal. Lord Chesterfield lived 
 till 1773, and I more than once heard the late Earl of Essex 
 say, more than thirty years ago, at Brookes's Club, that he 
 remembered as a boy of fourteen or fifteen seeing the Earl 
 seated on a rustic seat, inhaling the air outside the court-yard 
 of his house in May Fair. Chesterfield House was ninety-one 
 years ago at the very extremity of London, and all beyond it 
 was an expanse of green fields. 
 
 The table of twenty or twenty-five covers was one of the 
 noble earl's official dinners, but the supper was for a party of 
 intimate friends : 
 
 A TABLE OP TWENTY OB TWENTY-FIVE COVERS, SERVED WITH 
 TWENTY-NINE DISHES. 
 
 FIRST COURSE. Two terrines. 
 
 The middle of the table. l of fillets of soles ' 
 
 1 of fillets of eels. 
 A surtout in the middle. M each of the tableg 2 dishe8 
 
 1 Piece of beef garnished with of petits patees. 
 
 attelets. 
 1 quarter of veal with gravy. Four soops. 
 
 Two terrines. 1 of bisque of cray- fish. 
 
 .. .. ... 1 of muscle*. 
 
 1 of fillets of p.kcs with cray- J Qf ^^ rf<? ^^ 
 
 ^ Sh> ..., , , 1 soop, (a la St. Cloud.) 
 
 1 of a matellottee of one eel 
 
 and two carps, and two Eight entries, four with meat. 
 
 large pikes. and four in meager. 
 
 Two pots of olio. i O f chickens, Italian sauce. 
 
 1 of water. 1 of young turkeys with 
 
 1 of roots with oil. trufles.
 
 388 
 
 Appendix. 
 
 1 of fricandoes of veal glazed. 
 1 of pheasants, with a carp 
 sauce, a carp. 
 
 The four meager dishes. 
 
 1 of a pudding of old ling 
 
 (d la Muscovite). 
 1 of carps forc'd (d la Dau- 
 
 phine), 3 carps. 
 1 of eels rowl'd, 1 eel. 
 1 of tenches (d la Ste. Mene- 
 
 houf). 
 
 Eight small dishes of melons, 
 figs, and radishes. 
 
 Four removes for the soops. 
 
 1 of pikes (d la Civita Vec- 
 
 chia). 
 
 1 of perches, the Dutch way. 
 1 of trouts (d la Genoise). 
 1 of turbot broil'd,with shalot 
 
 sauce, and oil. 
 
 To remove the eight small 
 dishes of melons, figs, and 
 radishes. 
 
 1 of lottes with champagne. 
 1 of soles, the Italian way. 
 ] of sturgeon roasted, sharp 
 
 sauce. 
 1 of fillets of pikes, with an 
 
 Italian sauce. 
 
 Four of meat. 
 
 1 of quails with oil. 
 
 1 of young partridges, the 
 Spanish way. 
 
 1 of pigeons (dlad'Huxelles). 
 
 1 of fillets of fowls with cray- 
 fish. 
 
 SECOND COURSE. 
 
 For the large entremets for 
 
 the middle of the table. 
 1 ham pasty. 
 1 turkey pasty. 
 1 salmon. 
 
 1 turbot. 
 
 2 of cray-fish. 
 
 For the two sides of the table. 
 
 1 Savoy cake. 
 
 1 croquante. 
 
 Eight dishes of roast, viz., four 
 
 of meat and four meager. 
 1 of 6 chickens (d la Reine). 
 1 of fowls. 
 
 1 of 6 young partridegs. 
 1 of 4 wood pigeons. 
 4 sallets and 4 sauces. 
 
 The four meager. 
 1 of soles fry'd in oil. 
 1 of barbots. 
 1 of trouts. 
 1 of fry'd pikes. 
 
 THIRD COURSE. 
 
 Eight entremets, to remove 
 
 the eight dishes of roast. 
 
 1 of small loaves of pistaches. 
 
 1 of Puis d Amour. 
 
 2 Tourtes (d la Glace'). 
 2 of Turkey caps. 
 
 1 of Creme souff.ee. 
 
 1 of Creme veloutee. 
 
 Eight hot entremets to remove 
 the four sallets and four 
 sauces. 
 
 2 of trufles, the Italian way. 
 2 of lamb-stones. 
 
 2 of little artichokes, in sur- 
 prize. 
 2 of quisselles.
 
 Luxuries of the Table. 
 
 389 
 
 A BILL or FARE FOB A SUPPER OF FIFTEEN OR SIXTEEN 
 
 COVERS, SERVED UP WITH A GREAT DlSH, TWO MIDDLING, 
 FOUB SHALL, AND SlX HoRS D'CEuVRE. 
 
 FIRST COURSE. 
 
 For the middle. 
 1 quarter of veal in cawl. 
 
 Two pots of olio, one for each 
 end. 
 
 1 d lajambe de bois. 
 
 1 with rice and cray-fishcullis. 
 
 Four entries. 
 
 1 of pullets (a la Montmo- 
 rency). 
 
 1 of partridges, the Spanish 
 way. 
 
 1 of young ducks with orange- 
 juice. 
 
 1 of pigeons (d la d'Huxelles). 
 
 Six small dishes. 
 
 1 of mutton-cutlets, glaz'd 
 
 with endive. 
 1 of fricando's of veal, glaz'd 
 
 with sellery. 
 
 1 of popiettes, the Italian way. 
 1 of larks, the Muscovite way. 
 1 of fillets of soles with cham- 
 
 pain. 
 1 of eels, glaz'd with an Italian 
 
 sauce 
 
 To remove the two pots of olid. 
 
 1 of a turbot, glaz'd. 
 1 of a jowl of salmon boiled, 
 with shrimp-sauce. 
 
 SECOND COURSE. 
 
 Entremets. 
 
 1 of a roasted ham for the 
 middle. 
 
 For both ends of the table. 
 
 1 of a Savoy cake. 
 
 1 of a cake of uiille feuilles. 
 
 Four dishes of roast fowl. 
 
 1 of turkeys. 
 1 of fowls. 
 1 of partridges. 
 1 of young pigeons, dress'd 
 like ortolans. 
 
 Four sallets and 2 sauces. 
 
 THIRD COURSE. 
 
 Ten hot small entremets to re- 
 move the sauces, sallets, and 
 roast-meat. 
 
 1 of cray-fish, the Italian way. 
 1 of sweetbreads of veal (d la 
 
 Dauphine). 
 1 of artichokes, the Italian 
 
 way. 
 
 1 of green pease. 
 1 of lamb-stones. 
 1 of anchovies in Canappe. 
 1 of cocks' combs. 
 1 of ducks' tongues. 
 1 of Peaux <f Espagne. 
 1 of eggs with gravy.
 
 390 Appendix. 
 
 Sixteen or seventeen years after the death of Lord Ches- 
 terfield, a great number of French refugees of the highest 
 family, who had emigrated in consequence of the Revolution 
 to England, mixed much in English society, and the conse- 
 quence was that French cookery became more prevalent. 
 Several of our nobility vied with each other in entertaining 
 the French princes, the Count de Lille, and the Count d'Artois 
 (afterwards Louis XVIII. and Charles X.), and also the Dukes 
 of Conde and Bourbon. Among the foremost of these were the 
 Marquis of Buckingham and the Earl of Moira, both of whom 
 expended vast sums in these hospitalities. 
 
 The Count de Lille and others of his family occupied, in 1807, 
 Gossfield House, near High Garret, in Essex, a seat belonging 
 to the Marquis of Buckingham ; and in 1808 these princes were 
 received with the most splendid marks of hospitality at the 
 princely mansion of Stowe, where their residence was commemo* 
 rated by a Latin inscription. For several months there was a 
 dinner prepared daily for Louis XVIII., the Count d'Artois, the 
 Duke d'Angouleme, the Duke of Berry, the Duke of Orleans, the 
 Count de Beaujolais, the Prince of Conde, and the Duke of 
 Bourbon. But Stowe was a scene of even greater festivity in 
 1805, when the Heir Apparent (afterwards George IV.), the 
 Duke of Clarence (afterwards William IV.), with Mr. Fox, and 
 all the members of the new coalition, were present. On this 
 occasion 800 persons were invited. Grand entertainments were 
 given during several successive days ; illuminations took place 
 in the evening, and the grotto in which their Royal Highnesses 
 supped was illuminated with from 10,000 to 15,000 lamps. 
 
 At the Christmas dinner of the Duke of Buckingham, in 1808, 
 Louis XVIII. was present, and the following was the bill of 
 fare, as prepared by Mr. Simpson, the duke's cook. It is un- 
 doubtedly more substantial than elegant.
 
 Luxuries of the Table. 
 BILL OF FARE. 
 
 391 
 
 FIRST COURSE. 
 nice Soup, 
 removed with a 
 TURKEY AND TRUFFLES. 
 
 Semels Sonffle, 
 and poivrade 
 sauce. 
 
 
 Beef Collops a 
 la Tortile and 
 Truffles. 
 
 
 
 Three Sweet- 
 breads larded, 
 and asparagus 
 peas. 
 
 Poniard a la 
 Daube, larded, 
 and mushrooms. 
 
 
 
 Three Chickens 
 a la Reine. 
 
 Leg of Lamb, 
 and haricot 
 beans. 
 
 
 J Frame. * 
 
 
 Sonp, removed 
 with a bacon 
 chine, roasted. 
 
 Sonp, removed 
 with a haunch of 
 venison. 
 
 
 
 A Neat's 
 Tongne. 
 
 
 Three Chickens, 
 and celery. 
 
 
 
 Two RabbiU 
 a la Portngueze 
 larded, and 
 sorrel sauce. 
 
 Grenadines, 
 and endive. 
 
 
 
 A Souties of 
 Mutton, and 
 cucumber. 
 
 Petit Pates of 
 Oysters. 
 
 Giblet Soup, 
 removed with a 
 SIRLOIN OF BEEF. 
 
 SECOND COURSE. 
 Four Partridges. 
 
 Carmel Basket 
 with Pastry. 
 
 
 Savoy Cake. 
 
 
 
 Cauliflower a la 
 Flamond. 
 
 Jerusalem Arti- 
 chokes a la 
 Creme. 
 
 
 
 A Cheesecake. 
 
 Mince Pies. 
 
 
 
 Spinage and 
 Croutons. 
 
 French Beans. 
 
 
 
 jj . ,. >fl 
 I Frame. J 7' > 
 
 1 * * I 
 
 
 
 
 Asparagus. 
 
 Red Cabbage 
 a 1'Alemand. 
 
 
 
 Mince Pies. 
 
 Apricot Tourte. 
 
 
 
 Ragout Melle. 
 
 Mushrooms. 
 
 
 
 Chantillie Cake. 
 
 Carmel Basket, 
 with meringues. 
 
 Two Guinea Fowls : one larded.
 
 392 Appendix. 
 
 Of French cookery the Prince Regent was during his life a 
 great admirer, and no one in his Majesty's dominions, or out of 
 it, kept a more recherche or expensive table. But the Corona- 
 tion Dinner at Westminster Hall, in 1822, was a monster ban- 
 quet merely, and it gives no indication whatever of the king's 
 more refined taste in cookery. As a curiosity I print the bill 
 of fare of this great feast. 
 
 BILL OF FARE OF THE BANQUET GIVEN BY GEORGE fV. ON THE 
 19TH OF JULY, 1822, IN WESTMINSTER HALL, ON THE DAY OF 
 HIS CORONATION. 
 
 HOT DISHES. 160 tureens of soup; 80 of turtle; 40 of 
 rice ; 40 of vermicelli ; 80 dishes of turbot ; 40 of trout ; 40 
 of salmon ; 80 dishes of venison ; 40 of roast beef; 3 basins of 
 beef; 40 dishes of mutton and veal ; 160 dishes of vegetables, 
 including potatoes, peas, and cauliflowers ; 480 sauce-boats ; 
 240 lobsters ; 120 of butter ; 120 of mint. 
 
 COLD DISHES. 80 of braised ham ; 80 savory pies ; 80 of 
 geese a la daube, two in each dish ; 80 of savory cakes ; 80 of 
 braised beef; 80 of braised capons, two in each dish; 1190 
 side dishes of various kinds ; 320 of mounted pastry ; 400 of 
 jellies and creams ; 80 of lobsters ; 80of crayfish; 161 of roast 
 fowls ; 80 of house-lamb. 
 
 TOTAL QUANTITIES. Beef, 7442 Ibs.; veal, 7133 Ibs. ; mut- 
 ton, 2474 Ibs. ; house-lamb, 20 quarters ; legs of ditto, 20 ; 
 lamb, 5 saddles ; grass-lamb, 55 quarters ; lamb sweetbreads, 
 160 ; cow-heels, 389 ; calves'-feet, 400 ; suet, 250 Ibs. ; geese, 
 160; pullets and capons, 720 ; chickens, 1610; fowls for stock, 
 520; bacon, 1730 Ibs.; lard, 550 Ibs. ; butter, 912 Ibs.; eggs, 
 8400. 
 
 THE WINES. Champagne, 100 doz. ; burgundy, 20 doz. ; 
 claret, more than 200 doz. ; hock, 50 doz. ; moselle, 50 doz. ; 
 Madeira, 50 doz. ; sherry and port, about 350 doz. ; iced punch, 
 100 gallons. The champagne, hock, and moselle, were iced 
 before being placed upon the table. 
 
 The expenses of this banquet and the coronation together 
 amounted to the sum of 238,238/. As a contrast to this, it may 
 be also mentioned that the banquet and coronation of his Ma- 
 jesty William IV., which took place September, 1831, did not 
 cost 50,000/. 
 
 It may be mentioned that, at the coronation of George IV.,
 
 Luxuries of the Table. 
 
 393 
 
 the glut of fruit was unprecedented ; a gentleman of Lambeth 
 cut sixty ripe pine-apples on the occasion ; and that many 
 hundreds of pines remarkable for size and flavour came from 
 distant parts of the country ; one from Lord Cawdor's weighed 
 10 Ibs., and formed part of the royal banquet. 
 
 The taste of the royal gourmand will be more fully disclosed 
 by a bill of fare of one of the private dinners given at the 
 Pavilion, Brighton, in 1817. 
 
 Careme was at that period for eight months chef de cuisine 
 to the Prince Regent of England (afterwards George IV.), and 
 for seven months of that period the chefs&ys he never quitted his 
 post. During these seven months, if we are to believe this 
 celebrated cusinier, his Royal Highness never felt any attack of 
 gout, whereas before the cookery was so highly spiced (aroma- 
 tisee) that the royal gourmand was tormented with it both day 
 and night. Here is one of those menus of thirty-two entrees, 
 given at the Pavilion, Brighton, on the 8th of Jan., 1817, which 
 gave no gout : 
 
 Quatre potages. 
 
 Le potage de lievre au chas- 
 seur. 
 
 Le potage de saute au con- 
 somme de volaille. 
 
 Le potage aux laitues. 
 
 Le macaroni lie a 1'italienne. 
 
 Quatre releves de poissons. 
 
 Les perches au vin de cham- 
 pagne. 
 
 L'anguille k la regence. 
 
 Le turbot grille, sauce aux 
 homards. 
 
 Le cabillaud a la hollandaise. 
 
 Quatre grosses pieces. 
 
 Le dindon braise aux huitres. 
 Le filet de boeuf pique glace'. 
 Les poulets a la financiere. 
 Le quartier de sanglier, gelee 
 de grosseille;-. 
 
 Quatre contre-flans. 
 
 Le pain de gibier sur un socle. 
 La poularde sur un socle. 
 Le turban sur un socle. 
 La galantine sur un socle. 
 
 Quatre plats rots. 
 
 Le chapon au cresson. 
 Le lievre a 1'anglaise. 
 Le dindonneau au cresson. 
 Le pluviers bardes. 
 
 Huit entremets. 
 
 Les pommes de terre frites. 
 Les asperges. 
 Les huitres nu grntin. 
 La salade de volaille. 
 Les salsifis au beurre. 
 Les epinards a la frarn 
 Les truffes :i hi serviette. 
 Les ecrivisses au niadcre.
 
 394 
 
 Appendix. 
 
 BILL OF FARE FOR TEN OR TWELVE PERSONS. JANUARY. 
 
 FIRST COURSE. 
 
 Two soups. 
 Soup a la Julienne. 
 Puree of pheasant. 
 
 Two fishes. 
 
 Filets de sole a la Dieppoise. 
 John Dory, sauce hottandaise. 
 
 Two roasts. 
 
 Roast turkey a la financiere, 
 aux truffes. 
 
 Westphalia, York, or Cum- 
 berland ham, with Ma- 
 deira sauce. 
 
 Four entrees. 
 Mutton cutlets a la Soubise. 
 
 Filet de la pin a la Mare- 
 
 chale. 
 Ris de veaus pique, aux epi- 
 
 nard. 
 Pates a la Reine. 
 
 SECOND COURSE. 
 
 Two roasts. 
 A hare roasted. 
 A wild duck roasted. 
 
 Four entremets. 
 
 Apricot souffle. 
 Salsifis a la creme. 
 Ramequins. 
 (Eufs a la Neige. 
 
 DINNER FOR FOURTEEN PERSONS. APRIL. 
 FIRST COURSE. 
 
 Two soups. 
 
 Puree a la Heine. 
 Puree des carottes au ris. 
 
 Two fishes. 
 
 Crimped salmon, parsley and 
 
 butter sauce. 
 Soles au gratin. 
 
 Two removes. 
 
 Roast fore-quarter of lamb. 
 Poularde a la printaniere. 
 
 Four entrees. 
 
 Lamb cutlets, sauce aux con- 
 
 combres. 
 Fricandeau de veau, sauce aux 
 
 epinards. 
 
 SECOND COURSE. 
 
 Spring chickens. 
 Leverets. 
 
 Four entremets. 
 
 Champignons au gratin. 
 Seakale a la sauce blanche. 
 Vanille cream. 
 Apricot tartlets.
 
 Luxuries of the Table. 
 
 395 
 
 DINNEB FOR SIXTEEN IN MAT OB JUNE. 
 
 FIB8T COURSE. 
 
 Two soups. 
 
 Clear turtle. 
 Potage printaniere. 
 
 Two fishes. 
 
 Turbot, au naturel with lob- 
 ster or Dutch sauce. 
 
 Salmon slices, with parsley 
 and butter or caper sauce. 
 
 Two remotes. 
 
 Roast filet of beef larded. 
 
 Poivrade sauce. 
 
 Roast fore-quarter of lamb. 
 
 Entrees. 
 
 Noix de veaux a la St. Cloud. 
 Filets de mouton pique, sauce 
 aux tomates. 
 
 Supreme de volatile aux con- 
 
 combres. 
 
 Un pate chaud d la financiers. 
 Filets de laperaux, sauce aux 
 
 oignons. 
 Filets de maquereau, a fan- 
 
 glaise. 
 
 SECOND COURSE. 
 
 Guinea fowls. 
 Pigeons. 
 
 Six entremets. 
 
 Macaroni a Titalianne. 
 Choux-fieurs au parmesan. 
 Gelee de marasquin. 
 De tartelettes a. la Chantilly. 
 Les asperges d la sauce 
 
 blanche. 
 A lobster salad with plovers' 
 
 eggs. 
 
 DINNER IN A PLAIN ENGLISH FASHION FOB FOURTEEN. 
 
 FIRST COUBSE. 
 
 Two soups. 
 
 Giblet soup. 
 Soupe d la Julienne. 
 
 Two Fishes. 
 
 Turbot boiled. 
 
 Slices of salmon, Genevoise 
 sauce. 
 
 Two roasts. 
 
 A small fore-quarter of lamb. 
 A haunch of mutton. 
 
 Eight entrees. 
 
 Lamb cutlets, cucumber 
 sauce. 
 
 Lobster patties. 
 
 Mutton cutlets d la Soubise. 
 
 Croquettes of sweetbreads. 
 
 Chickens boiled, cream sauce. 
 
 Sweetbreads. 
 
 Filet of beef, sauce poivrade. 
 
 A tongue glazed, with Wind- 
 sor beans. 
 
 SECOND COURSE. 
 
 2 turkey poults (1 pique). 
 2 ducklings.
 
 396 Appendix. 
 
 Eight entremets. 
 
 Plovers' eggs with aspic. Noyeau jelly. 
 
 Prawns. French beans. 
 
 Jelly with strawberries. Peas a Tanglaise. 
 
 Caramel basket with cara- Chantilly basket with trifle, 
 melled fresh fruits. 
 
 ANTHONY CAREME. 
 
 Careme it is necessary I should say a little before he pro- 
 ceeds to tell his own story. If you believe him (see passim 
 the six volumes of his culinary works) he was the Homer and Vir- 
 gil, the Corneille and Dryden, the Pope and Boileau, the Byron 
 and De Beranger of cookery. Every other art, noble or ignoble, 
 every other superiority, literary, legal, histrionic, saltatory, 
 medicinal, modistical, may be contested with the Gauls ; but 
 great and little of all nations, peers and pork-men, boyars and 
 butchers, ^ro^fs and gastronomers, of whatever land, all by com- 
 mon consent agree in shouting, in loud cosmopolitan acclaim, the 
 glories and the greatness of Careme. " He was a man," says one 
 of his disciples, " whose tension and activity of mind were never 
 exhausted ; the more tedious and difficult were his duties, the 
 more brilliant he emerged from them." The greatest men in 
 ancient and modern times have written their own history. 
 Plato in his choicest dialogues gives us an insight into his own 
 character ; Cicero, in his work " De Oratore," paints himself 
 under a feigned name ; Caesar writes us an account of his own 
 exploits in his " Commentaries," as the Duke of Wellington does 
 in his "Despatches ;" Montecuculli penned his own Memoirs; 
 and Napoleon laboured at the " Memoriel de St. Helene ;" why, 
 therefore, should not a greater man in his own estimation than 
 any one among them all, reveal his own precious history and the 
 mysteries of his science, and lay patent to the public the simple 
 grandeur of his batteries de cuisine f Ay, why not ? Open the 
 pages of his instructive Memoirs and Autobiography, and see 
 whether there is any one of the Useful Knowledge Society 
 heroes who have gone so far in the pursuit of knowledge under 
 imminent and impending difficulties, as that really noble fellow
 
 Anthony Careme. 397 
 
 Anthony Careme ? Did he not abandon the first families to 
 write his cookery and the practice of some great contemporaries ? 
 for, observe you, Careme is not always peering a Brodignagian / 
 under your nose, or flourishing the flaunting motto of " Ego et 
 Rex Meus " before your perplexed eyes. No, this good savoury 
 Samaritan cook has some bowels, some thoughts of others, some 
 kindliness for the absent and the departed. He seems always with 
 the modesty of real merit to say, though of the strongest in his 
 generation, " Vixere fortes Agamemnona." But his virtues 
 were not merely negative, they were of the most positive kind. 
 He would only accept places " where his taste for study would 
 not be interfered with ;" for his ambition was "serious and ele- 
 vated." Then he felt, poignantly felt, " the misery of living 
 among men destitute of education." 
 
 Rousseau, in that most eloquent of books, " The Confessions," 
 tells us under what circumstances certain of his writings were 
 composed. The gruff Sam. Johnson, the delightful debt-con- 
 tracting Oliver Goldsmith, the ingenious and fantastic William 
 Hazlitt are equally communicative ; but, maugre this copious 
 sincerity, what are these men to Careme ? Is there any one 
 sentence in all they have ever written equal to the following ? 
 " From the time I arranged the sideboard of the Saxon ambas- 
 sador, the thought of the 'Patissier Royale,' and the ' Cui- 
 sinier Parisien,' entered my head." Cause and effect are 
 here beautifully, lucidly transparent. Dr. Brown and Dugald 
 Stewart, and all the Scotch mystifiers, might have written on 
 the subject till the crack of doom, and left the darkness more 
 dim, and the subject more perplexed; it is only Careme who 
 has made, in throwing off this bright sentence, the doctrine 
 quite plain. 
 
 " It was at the little inn at Llangollen," says Hazlitt, " after 
 a supper, that I wrote such a sketch " (which he names). See 
 how great geniuses fall on the same style and mpthod. " It was 
 in the night," says Careme, " after a short sleep, that I lately 
 dictated to my daughter my most recent di:iji: 
 
 "In the busiest period of my service with Alexander," says 
 this ingenious maker of sauces, " I never once abandoned my 
 evening notr-." Admirable, glorious man ! who will not think 
 in reading this of the parallel pa>;ii:r in the life of Fox, who, 
 in the busiest conflict* of party, left tin- blaze and bustle of tin- 
 Commons to read Aristophanes, as the other great performer left
 
 398 Appendix. 
 
 the blaze and bustle of the kitchen to compose his evening notes. 
 It was owing to these "viginti annorum lucubrationes " it 
 was owing to the " severe studies of the empire," that he was at 
 length, after wrestling with difficulties unheard of, enabled "to 
 seize on sugared entremets as his domain in fee." He had, too, 
 all the independence of mind of a great genius, " the surveil- 
 lance of Russia appeared degrading to him, and he promptly 
 left the land of the tyrant and the slave. Nor was this all : 
 such was the profoundness of his ennui in this work-a-day world 
 of ours in this heavy, muddy, manufacturing England that 
 he was forced to leave the service of George IV. to resume 
 the composition of his works. 
 
 These works are collected in six volumes ; and, as one great 
 genius may be permitted to speak of another, " they are," says 
 William Hall, cook to Thomas Peere Williams, and " con- 
 ductor " of the parliamentary dinners of Viscount Canterbury, 
 " they are the productions of a man whose imagination greatly 
 enlarged the variety of entrees and entremets previously prac- 
 tised, and whose clear and perspicuous details render them 
 facile, not only to the artist who has already an advance in his 
 profession, but also to those whose knowledge of the higher 
 code of the kitchen has been necessarily limited." 
 
 The cooks of Eome and Athens stood in the market-place 
 with aprons on, waiting to be hired for the occasion, and, 
 after they had done the day's service, were ignominiously dis- 
 missed out of doors ; but the cooks of our day are the friends 
 and familiars of the great. "I conversed for more than an 
 hour on gastronomy with Prince Esterhazy," says Careme, 
 " and it is astonishing what a knowledge of the art he displayed." 
 How different, however, is the fate of different authors ! Cor- 
 neille died in an unknown corner, in forlornness and distress ; 
 Goldsmith was always in want of a guinea ; Samuel Johnson 
 was often sorely pinched ; glorious John Dryden laboured 
 hard for the day's dinner ; Fielding was often in the hands 
 of bailiffs, and Savage and Otway lived and laboured in misery 
 and distress : but Careme, unlike these, gained not only im- 
 mortality, but money ; not only praise, but good solid pudding. 
 " My works," says he, " created me, exclusive of places whose 
 emoluments I sacrificed, a yearly income of more than 20,000 
 francs." 
 
 The most amusing of these works is undoubtedly an auto-
 
 Anthony Careme. 399 
 
 biography, which he did not live to finish. As it has not 
 appeared in an English dress, I give the gem in a translation 
 made at the time it was published. 
 
 " Although born of one of the poorest families of France, 
 of a family which counted amongst its members five-and-twenty 
 children although my father, to save me, literally flung me 
 into the street ; Fortune, nevertheless, rapidly smiled on me, 
 and a good fairy often took me by the hand, to lead me in the 
 right way. In the eyes of my enemies (and I have many) I 
 have more than once appeared the spoiled child of Fortune. I 
 have accepted and refused, at various times, the finest places ; 
 I have abandoned the first families in Europe to write my 
 practice of cookery and that of some great contemporaries gone 
 to their account, whose principles and practice were engraved 
 in my memory. 
 
 "I have only accepted good places, however, in families 
 where my taste for study, and the views which I early enter- 
 tained as to eminence in my profession, would not be interfered 
 with. In the rapid passage to all these places heaps of money 
 were offered me half a score of times, but I have not been 
 over-desirous of mere wealth. My ambition was serious and 
 elevated, and very early in life I desired to elevate my pro- 
 fession into the dignity of an art. It is precisely in this road 
 that I have encountered the greatest obstructions. I have 
 everywhere found idleness and envy that miserable disposi- 
 tion of mind made wretched by every superiority, and above 
 all by that of a comrade. But I have had more success than I 
 desired, though the exceptionable position in which I have been 
 placed has never diminished the misery of often living among 
 men destitute of all education. For some years I have sought 
 the means to give these men a moral culture (I 'education du 
 cceur) ; but I could not very clearly see my way, for this self- 
 education in the midst of an active life is the most difficult of 
 acquisition. The example of a family is necessary to educate 
 our soul. 
 
 " Here and there I have some remembrance of seriously dis- 
 agreeable passages, owing to the low rich (vilains riches) ; l>ut 
 I ought, on the other other hand, to recall to mind the good, the 
 excellent conduct of gentlemen of truth, noble seigneurs that I 
 have served. I have never had to complain but of the conduct 
 of & parvenu, a name which the fellow decorated himself with
 
 400 Appendix. 
 
 without tact. It was under the Empire that I was most em- 
 ployed ; it was, above all, at this era that my studies were 
 severe ; " c'est surtout a cette epoque que j'ai fait des fortes 
 etudes." My researches were made in good time ; they were 
 continuous ; they were serious. At M. de Talleyrand's I was 
 under Boucher, chef des services of the prince. I there per- 
 fected myself in one of the principal parts of cookery, which I 
 afterwards developed. Some years previously I had executed 
 many parts of the beaux extras. A little later I had the manage- 
 ment of the charming little dinners given by a distinguished 
 and lofty-minded man, M. de Lavalette. I also cooked the 
 dinners and arranged the sideboard of the Saxon Ambassador. 
 It is from that period that the first decided thought of the 
 " Patissier Royal " and of the " Cuisinier Parisien," first entered 
 my mind. I now acquired the excellent habit of noting down 
 in the evening, on returning home, the modifications that I had 
 made in my labour, each day bringing some change. With pen 
 in hand, I set down the reasons which had determined my 
 mind. That which then particlarly occupied me was the finer 
 parts of the oven's produce, and the cold sugared entremets. 
 This labour is the most delicate portion of the art of the 
 pastry-cook. I invented much in this branch the foundation, 
 the execution, the form all these parts became easy to me, 
 and I seized on them as of my domain in fee. 
 
 " I enjoyed perfect freedom at M. de Lavalette's to compose 
 my dinners. It was there I did the most to realize the pro- 
 blem whose solution I early sought the union of order, 
 delicacy, and economy. The guests were assiduous at these 
 dinners ; they were generally members of the senate, learned 
 men, celebrated officers, all connoisseurs. 
 
 " I laboured as a supernumerary at the Prince de Talley- 
 rand's in 1814, when the Emperor Alexander arrived there. 
 There I obtained the friendship and protection of an agreeable 
 and distinguished man, the comptroller of his Imperial Ma- 
 jesty's household, M. Muller. Under his direction I became 
 chief cook of the kitchens of the emperor, and was charged 
 with all the expenses and the ordering of the bills of fare. This 
 was the most active moment of my life ; yet I did not renounce 
 my custom, but continued to write what I had changed re- 
 modelled. I thus fixed ideas and combinations in my memory 
 which might have been effaced from it. When the Emperor
 
 Anthony Careme. 401 
 
 Alexander quitted Paris, I refused simultaneously the offer of 
 the situation of chefde cuisine in many great houses. Soon after 
 I decided to set out for Aix-la-Chapelle, still in the service of the 
 Emperor Alexander. The congress of sovereigns was united, 
 and M. Muller renewed his propositions of Paris, namely, that 
 I should go and continue my labours at Petersburg. My mode 
 of cookery pleased the emperor much, he said ; that was easy, 
 for everything was noble and truly imperial in that great 
 establishment of the czar. My emoluments were 2400 francs 
 per month, and the culinary expenses. That which I directed 
 at Aix-la-Chapelle was from 80,000 to 100,000 francs a month ; 
 but this munificent expenditure was based on the greatest 
 order and regularity, and the utmost strictness in making up 
 the accounts. 
 
 " The Prince Louis de Rohan, a member of the congress, was 
 one of my kindliest protectors. He advised me to enter into 
 the regular service of the emperor. I wished for a delay, for 
 I could not resolve to quit the researches and labours of digest- 
 ing my works, which I had commenced at Paris. 
 
 " I then entered the service of Lord Stewart. The English 
 embassy at Vienna was most brilliant at this time. Affairs 
 called milord to London. It was there that Prince Orloff 
 offered me anew the vacant places of maitre (t hotel and chef des 
 cuisines to the Emperor Alexander. I left London, and came 
 to see at Paris M. Daniel, who had just left the service of the 
 Emperor of Russia, rich and honoured. He advised me to 
 start for Petersburg. ' You will not,' he exclaimed, ' find much 
 serious rivalry there.' I made up my baggage, and embarked 
 at Honfleur. Arrived at Cronstadt, my old friend Riquette 
 presented me immediately to the Prince WolkoMkL I was 
 selected for the place of maitre d* hotel, but remarking that it 
 was degraded by a humiliating surveillance, I determim '! t>- 
 give it 'up. A few days afterwards I decided on l.-avin^ Peters- 
 burg, after having visited Moscow. I detcrimnr<l to return 
 either to France or England, where I would find a good place 
 in accordance with my habits and talents. 
 
 "I set sail, then, from Cr..n>tadt ; but the voyage was one 
 continual tempest. A\ had been thirty-nine days at sea when 
 we took shelter between Calais and P,oul...i:n'. < >" i'"' '"- 
 ing of the thirty-ninth day, n-lit-f was affonli-d by lar-ie Biting 
 smacks from Calais. After some days of repose, 1 returned to 
 U D
 
 402 Appendix. 
 
 that Paris which I had never ceased to regret, and on my 
 arrival, entered the service of the Princess Bragation, a lady 
 of high rank, good, clever, and mistress of a table which, in 
 delicacy, dignity, and culinary novelties, yielded the palm to 
 no lordly table, whether French or English. The taste of 
 this lady was exquisite. She had a grace, a charm of conver- 
 sation which were cited as models. I always served my dinner 
 en maitre cThotel, and was uniformly complimented. The prin- 
 cess said to me one day, ' Careme, did they not tell you that 
 you were entering the service of a capricious lady ?' I signified 
 assent. ' You see the contrary, however, for I am delighted 
 with your bills of fare, and accept them as you offer them.' I 
 thanked the princess, and added that the characteristic quality 
 of my cookery was, above all, that delicacy and that variety 
 which she was good enough to praise. One day somebody 
 said that he had been invited to a dinner dressed by Careme. 
 Her highness immediately answered, ' There must be a mistake, 
 for I ana sure that Careme dresses no dinner out of my house.' 
 Madame understood my character. The guest replied, 'Well, 
 this cook of which I spoke is a pearl, at all events.' ' Say 
 rather,' rejoined the princess, ' a false pearl, while mine is a 
 real one.' And there I was, as large as life ! 
 
 " The princess was often ill. One day at dinner, and before 
 me, the Prince de Talleyrand felicitated her on improved 
 health. ' Yes, I am better, and I owe that to Careme.' The 
 prince, with his usual intellectual grace and kindliness, ap- 
 proved of the princess's remark. At that moment I was very 
 happy. 
 
 " During my journey into Russia, Lord Stewart wrote to me 
 at Petersburg, to engage me to go with him to Vienna, ' as he 
 could find no cook who reminded him of me.' These were his 
 very words. The Princess Bragation being some time after- 
 wards almost perpetually confined to her bed, my place became 
 nearly a sinecure, and I obtained from my kind patroness the 
 permission to return to Vienna. When I arrived in the latter 
 capital the ambassador was no longer there, but I rejoined 
 him at Laybach. 
 
 " On my return to Vienna, I undertook the editing of the 
 bill of fare (/a redaction du menu), which was not changed. I 
 each day received in our magnificent kitchen the visit of mi- 
 lord ; he daily bestowed on me presents and encouragements.
 
 Anthony Careme. 403 
 
 It was his excellency who received the letter of the Prince 
 Wolkonski, in which it was said that the emperor would accept 
 the dedication of my projects of culinary achitecture. A mag- 
 nificent ring, studded with valuable diamonds, accompanied 
 this letter. I received it with tears in my eyes. How happy 
 had my life become ! 
 
 " My ring was the subject of universal curiosity among my 
 brethren. It was envied me by those who passed their lives 
 in dissipation. See how delicate the emperor was. He would 
 not reward me in an art in which I had pleased him, but he 
 rewarded me in another art, to which I had consecrated all the 
 leisure moments of my life. How often in that moment did I 
 mentally thank M. Percier, that finely accomplished draughts- 
 man, for the priceless instruction which he was good enough 
 to give me. 
 
 " A short while after, we left Vienna, to be present at the 
 coronation of George IV. Ten years before I had served this 
 monarch, then I left him to go to Russia. I left him notwith- 
 standing his generosity, notwithstanding the illustration which 
 his regrets, so benignantly expressed, had thrown around my 
 name. We did not arrive in time for the coronation. I re- 
 gretted this at first ; but, when I knew with what manner of 
 men I should be associated, I looked on my absence as a real 
 blessing. According to all account, nothing could be more 
 triste, more paltry, more out of joint with the occasion, than 
 these fetes. My ancient colleague of Carlton House had com- 
 pletely failed. 
 
 " Towards the end of 1823 there was a talk of Prince Ester- 
 hazy as ambassador at Paris. The Duke de Perigord recalled 
 me to the memory of his excellency Prince Esterhazy, who 
 received me with kindness, and remembered with a lively 
 pleasure the dinners of the Prince Regent. He engaged me 
 in the event of his being nominated to the Parisian embassy, 
 and retained me long enough that day to talk of the gastro- 
 nomy, of which he spoke in a truly pertinent manner, and with 
 much talent. The prince set out for London. I remained at 
 Paris sixteen months in the expectation of the new place, 
 and meanwhile refused fine offers ; one of the Russian ambas- 
 sador's at Naples, the other of Lord Granville, who was leaving 
 the Hague. I made it a point to be scrupulously faithful to 
 the engagement which I had entered into with the prinrr.
 
 404 Appendix. 
 
 " I forgot to say that, at the end of six months, Rothschild's 
 place was offered me. At first I refused, but, Prince Ester- 
 hazy not coming to Paris, one of my kind protectors, the Prince 
 Louis de Rohan, presented me to Madame Rothschild. I ac- 
 cepted the place. The Duke de Perigord wished at this time 
 that I should present my " Culinary Architecture," magni- 
 ficently bound by Thouvenin, to the Tuileries. The result was 
 as I had foreseen I only received cold compliments. The 
 reward of the public was somewhat different. My " Projets 
 d' Architecture," though containing only rough sketches, were 
 examined and approved. At the moment I write, 1833, here 
 are nearly five years that I am with the Rothschilds. I have 
 since refused the service of the Spanish embassy and of Prince 
 Esterhazy, who came to Paris with the kindly thought of taking 
 me back to England. M. Esterhazy was the intimate friend of 
 George IV. ; he dined weekly with his majesty. It was diffi- 
 cult for these two eminent gourmets, for these two personages, 
 full of taste, to pass some hours together without talking of 
 cookery. One day his Majesty asked the Prince where I was. 
 ' At Rothschild's,' said Esterhazy, ' and in that house is the 
 very best table in Paris.' ' I believe it,' said George IV., ' since 
 Careme has the management of it.' These words were repeated 
 to me by a person of eminent rank who was present. George 
 IV. was so perfect a connoisseur in all that related to the table, 
 that I had a right to feel flattered by his approval. These 
 words of kindliness were in conformity with everything which 
 the Regent had the goodness to say to me ten years before 
 to every communication he caused to be made to me in the in- 
 terval. Magnificent conditions were now proposed to me on 
 the part of George IV. ; my salary was to be doubled, and that 
 salary was to be converted into a pension for life at the end of 
 a few years. But, in the interval between the fashionable sea- 
 sons, London and the country-houses of the three kingdoms 
 were insupportable to me. Notwithstanding the kindness and 
 friendship of this royal prince, I experienced while in his ser- 
 vice so profound a melancholy and ennui, that I was forced to 
 return to Paris to resume the composition of my works. It is 
 not, therefore, to be wondered that I refused with regret, 
 though with gratitude, offers of recall to the service of George 
 IV. In the first place, my situation at Rothschild's suited me 
 perfectly ; and, in the second place, I was somewhat wearied
 
 Anthony Caremc. 405 
 
 with service. I felt the first attack of the malady which gnaws 
 at my vitals. I now only think of profiting of the days which 
 Heaven may yet spare to me to finish the books whose germs 
 are in my mind. These books have been the meditation of my 
 entire life. What torments, what preoccupations, what cares, do 
 they not represent, and how I have tormented body and mind 
 by my long vigils. At break of day I was at the fish-market, 
 seeking the elements of my labours. Some hours after, I was 
 in the thick of business, with cap and apron on ; and I was 
 again at work, busy as a bee, some hours before dinner. It 
 was in the night, after a short sleep, that I lately dictated to 
 my daughter my most recent chapters. The certainty now 
 remains to me of leaving something useful behind me. But I 
 shall not leave all that I had conceived touching our art, in the 
 interest of kindly civil men and good practicians. 
 
 " I now edited my ' Maitre-d'Hotel ;' I published a new 
 edition of the ' Patissier Royale,' and the third of the ' Patis- 
 sier Pittoresque ;' the copyright I kept in my own hands. 
 
 " My works, forming already six volumes, had created for me 
 at last (exclusive of places whose emoluments I always sacri- 
 ficed to my studies !) the annual income necessary to a tranquil 
 and comfortable existence. I made that year an income of 
 more than 20,000 francs (800Z.). M. de Rothschild, valuing 
 my services, raised, of his own accord, my wages. He had just 
 about this time purchased of the Duke of Otranto the hand- 
 some estate of Ferrieres. The baron was good enough to say 
 that the resources of Ferrieres would render my service more 
 easy ; he added, with kindness, ' This beautiful chateau will, a 
 dozen years hence, ofler you a retreat.' I eagerly thanked him, 
 but said that I did not think my health would permit me to 
 accept his offers, that I was worn out. ' My wish,' said I, ' M. 
 le Baron, is not to finish my days in a chateau, but in an humble 
 lodging in Paris.' I further mentioned that my books brought 
 me in an income which exceeded my wants. I shall increase 
 this income, for I have not finished my labours; I have yet to 
 publish a book on the actual state of my profession.' ' But 
 what is the amount of that income ?' kindly asked M. de Roths- 
 child and his family. A lively surprise was the result of my 
 answer. What I said appeared a dream. I added that this 
 income was not of the past year only, but dated back for 
 several years.
 
 406 Appendix. 
 
 " It was some months after this that I was attacked with the 
 malady which torments me, and which will close, perhaps, the 
 future on me. I am still under the hands of the doctors, but 
 do not mend. One of my old friends, M. Magonty, replaces 
 me in my post. 
 
 " I will not close this chapter without saying that I obtained, 
 while in the house of Madame Rothschild, the inestimable 
 good-will of a man of genius, of the Maestro Rossini ; he is a 
 connoisseur, as is well known ; he always said that he only dined 
 well, according to his taste, at the house of Madame Rothschild. 
 He asked me one day if my labours were not the result of very 
 attentive meditation ? I answered affirmatively, ' All that I do 
 is written ; I slightly alter in execution.' I remember that one 
 day there was some talk of Rossini going to the United States ; 
 he was good enough to say, ' I'll start at once if Careme will 
 but accompany me. ' " 
 
 I shall conclude with a few detached passages, aphorisms, and 
 thoughts, from the same great authority. 
 
 Fete given at the Ely see Imperial for the Marriage of Prince 
 Jerome and the Princess of Wurtemburg. 
 
 " AT this, a grand ball, Robert was comptroller, and the 
 famous Laguipierre chef des cuisines. Riquette* and I were 
 charged with such portion of the supper as was served, cold. 
 We thus, as nearly as I can remember, filled the tables : twenty- 
 four large joints, fourteen stands bearing hams, six galantines, 
 and two wild boars' heads, six loins of veal a la gelee, seventy- 
 six entrees, six of which were sides and fillets of beef a la gelee, 
 six noix de veau, six of dressed calves' brains bordered with 
 shapes of jelly, six of pain defoie gras, six of poulets a la reine 
 en galantine, six daspics garnished with cocks' combs and kid- 
 neys, six of salmis of red partridge lukewarm, six of fricasees 
 of poulet a la reine, six of mayonnaises de volaille, six of slices 
 of salmon au beurre de Montpelier, six of salads of fillets of 
 soles, six of galantines of eels au beurre de Montpelier. Our 
 
 * Riquette was then a young Parisian cook, who has since made a 
 considerable fortune in the service of the Emperor Alexander. He 
 spoke and wrote so remarkably, that his competitors called him the beau 
 parleur.
 
 Anthony Careme. 40 
 
 borders were thus composed : for the slices of salmon, beurre 
 rose; for the eels, beurre d la ravigotte vert - tendre ; for the 
 salads of filets de sole, borders of eggs ; for the mayonnaises de 
 volatile, the same ; for the game and fowls, borders of truffles, 
 mushrooms, and morels." 
 
 New Invention of Careme. 
 
 "TOWARDS 1804 I imagined our new suedoises. The shapes 
 which they had before my time were without grace or elegance. 
 My attempt had a decided success at a grand extra of a ball, 
 which the marshals of France gave to the Chief-Consul, their 
 master. The ball was magnificent ; it was given in the Salle 
 de 1'Opera decorated with hangings. M. Becar, cook of the 
 sugared entremets, called me in to assist him, he confided to me 
 the suedoises, I made him thirty-six of them, and for several 
 days afterwards these suedoises were the only topic of conver- 
 sation from the kitchens to the salons of Paris. Happy times ! 
 agreeable labours ! " 
 
 The following are the most striking among the Aphorisms, 
 Thoughts, and Maxims, of the Cook Careme. 
 
 " FRANCE is the mother-country of amphitryons. Its kitchen 
 and its wines assure the triumph of gastronomy. It is the 
 only country in the world for good cheer. Strangers are con- 
 vinced of these truths. 
 
 "The culinary art serves as a sort of escort to European 
 diplomacy. 
 
 " The great diplomatist should have a renowned cook. 
 
 " The diplomatist is a fine appreciator of a good dinner. 
 
 " For the young nobility, embassies are courses of diplomacy 
 and gastronomy. 
 
 " Gastronomy marches like a queen at the head of civiliza- 
 tion, but vegetates merely in a period of revolution. 
 
 " Great doctors and great musicians are great lovers of good 
 living; witness the celebrated Broussais, itoques, Rossini, ami 
 Boieldieo. 
 
 " The rich man, fond of the pleasures of the table, passes 
 through life with comfort and happiness, when he cares not a 
 straw for public affairs. 
 
 " Cookery is a diflicult art ; a generous host knows how to 
 appreciate its grandeur and dignity.
 
 408 Appendix. 
 
 " In the houses of the old nobility, the chef de cuisine became 
 maitre tf hotel, the assistant-cook took the place of the cook, and 
 the scullions became assistant-cooks. By these mutations, 
 these ministers to the mouth (hommes de bouche) attached them- 
 selves more and more to these noble houses, and thus the 
 masters at once preserved their health and secured the comfort 
 of their servants. 
 
 " In the epoch in which we live the first culinary talents 
 vegetate at Paris, and London is enriched with our renowned 
 cooks. 
 
 " A cook is a gastronome both by taste and by profession. 
 " A cook who is clean in his person is clean also in his work. 
 " In ancient and modern times, the talents of cooks were 
 honoured by kings, witness Marc Antoninus and the great 
 Frederick. 
 
 " The French cook is esteemed by the great in distant lands ; 
 he is sought for and appreciated. 
 
 " The French cook is incited to his work by a point of honour 
 inseparable from the culinary art ; witness the death of the 
 great Vatel. 
 
 " The French cook is happy in all the capitals of Europe, 
 but he who does not wish to quit his country should have 
 courage. 
 
 " At the Russian court the cook on duty (for there are four 
 who take the work by turns every fortnight) always served his 
 dinner en maitre d'hote!. This thoroughly gastronomical fashion 
 should be generally adopted by amphitryons who love to make 
 good cheer. 
 
 " The hypocritical valet is fatal to the tranquillity of a great 
 establishment ; he is vain, proud, paltry, crawling, lazy, and 
 gluttonous; he is a tale-bearer for the purpose of gaining his 
 master's confidence, which he afterwards abuses ; he is the Tar- 
 tufie of domestic life. 
 
 " The upstart valet is self-sufficient and scented. 
 " The doctor speaks ill of the cook, in order that he may 
 not lose his influence over the mind of the rich man ; but the 
 talent of a good cook tends more to the preservation of his 
 master's health than the factitious science of certain doctors, 
 whose medical advice is regulated by their own interests. 
 
 "The rich man who leads an irregular life ought rather to 
 trust to the science of a cook to re-establish his health, if he
 
 Anthony Careme. 409 
 
 feels the necessity of it, than to the discourses of the interested 
 doctor." 
 
 Such was Anthony Careme. He had gained the suffrages 
 of emperors and kings, of princes royal and princes not royal, 
 of noble ladies and rich banker Jews, when the climax of his 
 felicity was capped by the friendship and good-will of Rossini, 
 and a flattering notice of his work, in his usual sparkling style, 
 from the facile pen of Jules Janin. This was too much for 
 mortal man, and encumbered by the very splendour and vanity 
 of his successes, and not a little worn out also, by thirty 
 years of service, he sank into premature decay, and was taken 
 from that world of bon-vivants and sensualists of whom he had 
 formed the delight, somewhere about the year of grace 1 835 or 
 1836. "He was," says a celebrated gourmand, "lively, ar- 
 dent, enthusiastic, of a rare patience, of an imperturbable sang- 
 froid. The last work of Careme, " L'Art de Cuisine Franchise 
 au XlXeme Siecle," was left in an unfinished state, but M. 
 Plumeret, first cook of the Russian embassy, has finished it by 
 the publication of the sixteenth and seventeenth parts. In the 
 " Maitred'Hotel Franqais," the "CuisinierParisien," and "La 
 Cuisine de Paris au XlXeme Siecle," will Careme live. 
 
 " Careme bestowed fine names on his soups : Potages 
 Conde, Bdieldieu, Broussais, Rogues, Segalas (the three last 
 learned and agreeable doctors) ; Lamartine, Dumesnil (the his- 
 torian) ; Buffbn, Girodet; and to be just to all the world, that 
 great practitioner in the culinary art which the world has lost, 
 had not forgotten, before his death, to give also to one of his 
 best soups the name of Victor Hvgo. He called a matelote of 
 fish after M. Delavigne, and a dish of perch after his physician, 
 M. Gaubert." 
 
 Here are M. Careme's ideas on maigre sauces : " It is in a 
 lenten kitchen that the cleverness of a cook can shed a bril- 
 liant light. It was in the Elysee Imperial, and by the example 
 of the famous Laguipierre and Robert, that I was initiated into 
 this fine branch of the art, and it is inexpressible. The years 
 '93 and '94, in their terrible and devastating course, respected 
 these strong heads (ces fortes tetes). When our valiant First 
 Consul appeared at the head of affairs our miseries and those of 
 gastronomy finished. 
 
 ' When the empire came, one heard of soups and entree* 

 
 410 Appendix. 
 
 maigre. The splendid maigre first appeared at the table of the 
 Princess Caroline Murat. This was the sanctuary of good cheer, 
 and Murat was one of the first to do penitence. But what a 
 penitence ! " 
 
 One does not know whether to be indignant or to laugh at 
 this. The old proverb, " Set a beggar on horseback and he 
 will ride to the devil," is undoubtedly true. A few years before 
 the consulate the ambitious Caroline Buonaparte, afterwards 
 wife of Murat, was, with her mother and the other female 
 members of her family, in so destitute a situation at Marseilles, 
 that they had not the means of buying wood to warm them- 
 selves ; and as to Murat, her husband, it is well known that 
 he rose from the very dregs of society, his father being a 
 village innkeeper at Bastide Frontoniere, in the department 
 of Lot, 
 
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