an infitator of Horace, as he himself directs. I have not confulted any of his tranflators; neither Mr. Oldham, whofe copioufnefs runs into paraphrase, nor Ben Johnson, who is admirable for his close following of the original, nor yet the Lord Rofcommon, fo excellent for the beauty of his language, and his penetration into the very defign and foul of that author. I confidered that I went upon a newundertaking, andthough I do not value myfelf upon it so much as Lucretius did, yet I dare fay it is more innocent and innoffenfive.

Sometimes when Horace's rules come too thick and fententious I have fo far taken liberty as to pass over fome of them; for I confider the nature and temper of Cooks, who are not of the most patient difpofition, as their underfervants too often experience. I wish I might prevail with them to moderate their paffions, which will be the greater conqueft feeing a continual heat is added to their native fire.

Amidst the variety of directions that Horace gives us in his Art of Poetry, which is one of the most accurate pieces that he or any other author has written, there is a fecret connexion in reality, though he doth not exprefs it too plainly, and therefore this Imitation of it has many breaks in it. If fuch as fhall condefcend to read this Poem would at the fame time confult Horace'soriginal Latin, or fome of the aforementioned tranflators, they would find at least this benefit, that they would recollect thofe excellent inftructions which he delivers to us in fuch elegant language,

I could with the Mafter and Wardens of the Cooks' Company would order this Poem to be read with due confideration; for it is not lightly to be run over, feeing it contains many useful instructions for human life. It is true that fome of these rules inay seem more principally to refpe&t the fteward, clerk of the kitchen, caterer, or perhaps the butler; but the Cook being the principal perfon, without whom all the reft will be little regarded, they are directed to him; and the work being defigned for the univerfal good, it will accomplish some part of its intent if thofe fort of people will improve by it.

It may happen in this as in all works of art, that there may be fome terms not obvious to common readers; but they are not many. The reader may not have a just idea of a swoled mutton, which is a fheep roafted in its wool, to save the labour of fleaing. Bacon and filbert-tarts are fomething unusual; but fince fprout-tarts and Pistachio-tarts are much the fame thing, and to be seen in Dr. Salmon's Family Dictionary, thofe perfons who have a defire for them may eafily find the way to make them. As for grout it is an old Danish difh; and it is claimed as an honour to the ancient family of Leigh to carry a dish of it up to the coronation. A dwarf-pie was prepared for King James I. when Jeffery his dwarf rose out of one armed with a sword and buckler, and is fo recorded in history that there are few but know it. Though mari

nated fish, hippocraes, and ambigues, are known to all that deal in Cookery, yet terrenes are not so usual, being a filver veffel filled with the most coftly dainties, after the manner of an oglio. A furprife is likewife a difh not fovery common, which,promising little from its first appearance, when open abounds with all forts of variety, which I cannot better refemble than to the fifth act of-one of our modern comedies. Left Monteth, Vinegar, Talieffin, and Boffu, should be taken for dishes of rarities, it may be known that Monteth was a gentleman with a fcalloped coat; that Vinegar keeps the ring at Lincoln's-Inn-Fields; Talieffin was one of the most ancient bards amongst the Britons; and Boffu one of the most certain inftructers in criticism that this latter age has produced.

I hope it will not be taken ill by the wits that I call my Cooks by the title of Ingenious; for I cannot imagine why Cooks may not be as well read as any other perfons: I am fure their apprentices of late years have had very good opportunities of improvement; and men of the first pretences to literature have been very liberal, and fent in their contributions very largely. They have been very serviceable both to spit and oven; and for these twelve months paft whilst Dr. Wotton with his Modern Learning was defending pie cruft from fcorching, his dear friend Dr. Bentley with his Phalaris has been finging of car pans. Not that this was occafioned by any fuperfluity

or tediousness of their writings, or mutual commendations; but it was found out by some worthy patriots, to make the labours of the two Doctors as far as poffible to become useful to the publick.

Indeed Cookery has an influence upon men's actions even in the highest stations of human life. The great philofopher Pythagoras, in his Golden Verses, fhews himself to be extremely nice in eating when he makes it one of his chief principles of morality to abstain from beans. The nobleft foundations of honour, juftice, and integrity, were found to lie hid in turnips, as appears in that great Dictator Cincinnatus, who went from the plough to the command of the Roman army, and having brought home victory retired to his cottage: for when the Samnite ambaffadors came thither to him with a large bribe, and found him dreffing turnips for his repast, they immediately returned with this fentence, "That it was impoffible "C to prevail upon him that could be contented with "fuch a fupper." In fhort, there are no honorary appellations but what may be made ufe of to Cooks; for I find throughout the whole race Charlemagne that the Great Cook of the palace w... one of the prime minifters of state, and conductor of armies. So true is that maxim of Paulus Æmilius, after his glorious expedition into Greece, when he was to entertain the Roman people, " that there was equal skill

required to bring an army into the field and to fet

"forth a magnificent entertainment, fince the onewas "as far as poffible to annoy your enemy, and the other

to pleasure your friend." In short, as for all persons that have not a due regard for the learned, industrious, moral, upright, and warlike, profession of Cookery, may they live as the ancient inhabitants of Puerte Ventura, one of the Canary Islands, where they being so barbarous as to make the most contemptible perfon to be their butcher, they had likewife their meat served up raw, because they had no fire to drefs it; and I take this to be a condition bad enough of all confcience!

As this fmall Effay finds acceptance I shall be encouraged to pursue a great defign I have in hand of publishing a Bibliotheca Culinaria, or The Cook's Complete Library, which shall begin with a tranflation, or at least an epitome, of Athenæus, who treats of all things belonging to a Grecian feaft. He fhall be published with all his comments, ufeful gloffes, and indexes, of a vast copioufnefs, with cuts of the bastingladles, drippingpars, and drudgingboxes, &c. lately dug up at Rome out of an old fubterranean skullery. I defig lohave all authors in all languages upon that fubjeer, therefore pray confult what oriental manuscripts you have. I remember Erpenius, in his Notes upon Lockman's Fables, (whom i take to be the fame perfon with Æfop) gives us an admirable re+ ceipt for making the four milk, that is, the bonnyclabber, of the Arabians. I should be glad to know

1