SIR,

LETTER III.

To Dr. LISTER, prefent.

I AM a plain man, and therefore never ufe compliments; but I must tell you. that I have a great ambition to hold a correfpondence with you, especially that I may beg you to communicate your remarks from the ancients concerning dentifcalps, vulgarly called tooth-picks. I take the ufe of them to have been of great antiquity, and the original to come from the inftinct of Nature, which is the beft miftrefs upon all occafions The Egyptians were a people excellent for their philofophical and mathematical obfervations: they fearched into all the fprings of action; and, though I must condemn their fuperftition, I cannot but applaud their invention. This people had a vaft diftrict that worshipped the crocodile, which is an animal, whofe jaws, being very oblong, give him the opportunity of having a great many teeth; and his habitation and bufinefs lying moft in the water, he, like our modern Dutch whitters in Southwark, had a very good ftomach, and was extremely voracious. It is certain, that he had the water of Nile always ready, and confequently the opportunity of wathing his mouth after meals; yet he had farther occafion for other inftruments to cleanfe his teeth, which are ferrate, or like a faw. To this end, Nature has provided an animal called the ibneumer, which performs this office, and is fo maintained by the product of its own labour. The Egyptians, feeing fuch an useful fagacity in the crocodile, which they fo much reverenced, foon began to imitate it, great examples eafily drawing the multitude; fo that it became their conftant cuftom to pick their teeth, and wash their mouths, after eating. I cannot find in Marfham's "Dynaftics," nor in the "Fragments of Manethon," what year of the moon (for I hold the Egyptian years to have been lunar, that is, but of a month's continuance) fo venerable an ufage firft began; for it is the fault of great philologers, to omit fuch things as are moft material. Whether Sefoftris, in his large conquefts, might extend the ufe of them, is as unertain; for the glorious actions of thofe ages lay

*Whofe tenter-grounds are now almost all built upon.

66

very much in the dark. It is very probable, the the public ufe of them came in about the fame time that the Egyptians made use of juris. I find, in the preface to the "Third Part of Modern Reports," that "the Chaldees had a great cfteem for the number TWELVE, becaule "there were fo many figns of the Zodiack: from them this number came to the Egyptians, and "fo to Greece, where Mars himself was tried for a murder, and was acquitted." Now it does not appear upon record, nor any one that I have feen, whether the jury clubbed, or whether Man treated them, at dinner, though it is most likely that he did; for he was a quarrelsome fort of a perfon, and probably, though acquitted, might be as guilty as Count Koningsmark. Now the cuf tom of juries dining at an cating-houfe, and hav ing glaffes of water brought them with teethtinged with vermilion fwimming at the top, being ftill continued, why may we not imagine, that the tooth-picks were as ancient as the dinner, the dinner as the juries, and the juries at least as the grand-children of Mitzraim? Homer makes his heroes feed fo grofsly, that they seem to have had more occafion for fkewers than goofe-quills. He is very tedious in defcribing a smith's forge and a anvil; whereas he might have been more polite, in fetting out the tooth-pick-cafe or painted fabr of Achilles, if that age had not been fo barbares as to want them. And here I cannot but com

der, that Athens, in the time of Pericles, when it flourished moft in fumptuous buildings, and Rome in its height of empire, from Auguftus down to Adrian, had nothing that equalled the Royal or New Exchange, or Pope's-head Ailey, for ca riofities and toy-fbops; neither had their fenate any thing to alleviate their debates concerning the af fairs of the univerfe, like raffling fometimes a Colonel Parfon's. Although the Egyptians often extended their conquefts into Africa and Ethiopia, and though the Cafre Blacks have very fine teeth; yet I cannot find that they made use of any fuch inftrument: nor does Ludolphus, though very exact as to the Abyllinian empire, give any ac count of a matter fo important; for which her to blame, as I fhall fhew in my Treatife of "Forks "and Napkins," of which I fhall fend you an E fay with all expedition. I fhall in that Treatie fully illuftrate or confute this paffage of Dr. Hey lin, in the third book of his " Cofmiography," where he lays of the Chinese, "That they cat "their meat with two ticks of ivory, ebony, ar "the like; not touching it with their hands at "all, and therefore no great foulers of linen. "The ufe of filver forks with us, by fome of our "fpruce gallants taken up of late, came from "hence into Italy, and from thence into Erg "land." I cannot agree with this learned Decor in many of thefe particulars. For, first, the use of these flicks is not so much to fave linen, as out of pure necefity, which arifes from the length of their nails, which perfons of great quality in thofe countries wear at a prodigious length, to prevent all poffibility of working, or being serviceable to themselves or others; and therefore, if they

LTETER V.

To Mr.

I HERE fend you what I promised, "A Difcourfe "of Cookery," after the method which Horace has taken in his "Art of Poetry," which I have all along kept in my view; for Horace certainly is an author to be imitated in the delivery of frecepts for any art or feience. He is indeed fevere upon our fort of learning in fome of his Satires; but even there he inftructs, as in the Fourth Satire of the Second Book, ver. 13.

"Longa quibus facies ovis erit, illa memento, "Ut fucci melioris, et ur magis alba rotundis, "Punere namque marem cohibent callofa vitellum."

"Choofe ggs oblong; remember they'll be

found

"Of Sweeter tafte, and whiter than the round: "The firmness of that fhell includes the male."

I am much of his opinion, and could only with tha the world was thoroughly informed of two other truths concerning eggs One is, how incomparably better roufled eggs are than boiled; the other, never to eat any butter with eggs in the foell You cannot imagine how much more you will have of their flavour, and how much easier they will fit upon your flomach. The worthy perfon who recommended it to me made many profelytes; and I have the vanity to think, that I have not been altogether unfuccefsful.

I have in this Poem used a plain, easy, familiar ftyle, as moft fit for precept; neither have I been too exact an imitator of Horace, as he himself directs. I have not confulted any of his tranflators; neither Mr. Oldham, whofe copioufnefs runs into Paraphrafe; nor Ben Jonfon, who is admirable for his clofe following of the original; nor yet the Lord Refcommon, 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 new undertaking; and though I do not value myself upon it fo much as Lucretius did, yet I dare fay it is more innocent and ineffenfive.

Sometimes, when Horace's rules come too thick and fententious, I have fo far taken liberty as to pafs over fome of them; for I confider the nature and temper of Cooks, who are not of the most patient difpofition, as their under-fervants too often experience. I wish I might prevail with them to moderate their paflions, which will be the greater conqueft, fecing 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 condescend to read this

Poem would at the fame time confult Horace's original Latin, or fome of the aforementioned Tranflators, they would find at leaft this berefit, that they would recollect thofe excellent intr. tions which he delivers to us in fuch elegant lan guage.

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 ligh to be run over, seeing it contains many uteful mftructions for human life. It is true, that fome of thefe rules may feem more principally to reped the Steward, Clerk of the Kitchen, Caterer, of perhaps the Butler. But the Cook being the principal perfon, without whom all the rest wil be little regarded, they are directed to him: and the werk being defigned for the univerfal good, i will accomplish fome part of its intent, if those 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 14 common readers; but they are not many. The reader may not have a juft idea of a fueled mutton, which is a fheep roafted in its wool, to fave the labour of flaying. Bacon and fillert-tarts are font. thing unnfual; but, fince Sprout-tarts and pifladis tarts are much the fame thing, and to be feen Dr. Salmon's "Family Dictionary," hofe pericas who have a defire for them may easily find the way to make them. As for grout, it is an old Da

nish dish; and it is claimed as an honour to the ancient family of Leigh, to carry a difh of it up to the coronation. A dwarf-pye was prepared for King James the First, when Jeffery his dwarf rofe out of one armed with a fword and buckler; and is fo recorded in hiftory, that there are few bat know it. Though marinated fifo, biopecraes, and ambigues, are known to all that deal in cookery; yet terrenes are not fo ufual, being a filver vefd filled with the most coftly dainties, after the nan ner of an oglio. A furprife is likewife a dish not fa very common; which, promifing little from its firft appearance, when open, abounds with all fert of variety; which I cannot better refemble than to the fifth act of one of our modern comedies. Left Monteth, Vinegar, Talieffin, and Beija, fhould be taken for difhes of rarities; it may be known, that Monteth was a gentleman with a fcalloped coat, that Vinegar keeps the ring at Lincoln's-infields, Talieffin was one of the most ancient bards amongst the Britons, and Boffu one of the most certain instructors 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 ap prentices, of late years, have had very great op portunities of improvement; and men of the fir pretences to literature have been very liberal, and fent in their contributions very largely. They have been very ferviceable both to spit and ever ¡ and for thefe twelve months paft, whilft Dr. Wor ton with his " Modern Learning" was defending pye-cruft from fcorching, his dear friend Dr. Bent

Indeed, cookery has an influence upon men's tions even in the higheft ftations of human life. he great philofopher Pythagoras, in his " Golden Verfes," fiews himself to be extremely nice in tig, when he makes it one of his chief prinples of morality to abftain from beans. The obleft foundations of honour, juftice, and interity, were found to lie hid in turnips; as appears that great dictator, Cincinnatus, who went from e plough to the command of the Roman army; id, having brought home victory, retired to his ottage; for, when the Samnite ambaffadors came ither to him with a large bribe, and found him reffing turnips for his repaft, they immediately turned with this fentence, "That it was impoffible to prevail upon him that could be contented with fuch a fupper." In fhort, there are no hoorary appellations but what may be made ufe of > Cook; for I find throughout the whole race of Charlemaigne, that the great cook of the palace as one of the prime minifters of ftate, and conuctor of armies: fo true is that maxim of Paulus Emilius, after his glorions 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 one was as far as poffible to annoy your enemy, and the other to pleafure your friend." In fhort, as for all perfons that have not a due regard for the learned, induftrious, noral, upright, and warlike profeflion of cookery, nay they live as the ancient inhabitants of Puerte Ventura, one of the Canary Islands, where, they being fo barbarous as to make the most contemptible perion to be their butcher, they had likewife their meat ferved 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 fall effay finds acceptance, I shall be encouraged o purfue a great defign I have in hand, of publishing a Bibliotheca Culinaria, or the "Cok's Complete Library," which shall begin with a tranflation, or at least an epitome, of Athenæus, who treats of all things belonging to a G ecian feaft. He fhall be published, with all his comments, useful glosses, and indexes, of a vast copioufnefs, with cuts of the bafting ladles, dripping pans, and drudging boxes, &c. lately dug up at Rome, out of an old fubterranean feullery. I defign to have all authors in all languages upon that fubject; therefore pray confult what oriental manufcripts you have I remember Erpenius, in his notes upen Loman's Fallies (whom I take to be the fame perfon with Elop), gives us an admirable receipt for making the four milk, that is, the bonny clabber, of the Arabians. I should be glad to know how Mahomet ufcd to have his feoulder of mutton dreffed, I have heard he was a gret lover of that joint;

and that a maid of an inn poifoned him with one' faying, " If he is a prophet, he will difcover it; if "he is an impoftor, no matter what becomes of "him." I fhall have occafion for the affistance of all my friends in this great work. I fome pofts ago defired a friend to inquire what manufcripts Sol. Harding, a famous cook, may have left behind him at Oxford. He fays, he finds among his executors feveral admirabie bills of fare for Ariftotle fuppers, and entertainments of country strangers, with certain prices, according to their feveral feafons. He fays, fome pages have la ge black croffes drawn over them; but for the greater part the bocks are fair and legible.

Sir, I would beg you to fearch Cooks' hall, what manufcripts they may have in their archives Sea what in Guildhall: what account of cuftard in the fword bearer's office: how many tun he, a conmon cryer, or a common hunt may eat in their life-time. But I tranfgrefs the bounds of a letter, and have strayed from my fubject, which fhould have been, to beg you to read the following lines, when you are inclined to be most favourable to your friend; for elfe they will never be able to endure your juft cenfure. I rely upon your goodnature; and I am

I HAVE reflected upon the difcourfe I had with you the other day, and, upon serious confideration, find that the true understanding of the whole " Art of Cookery" will be useful to all perfons that pretend to the belles lettres, and especially to poets.

I do not find it proceeds from any enmity of the cooks, but it is rather the fault of their mafters, that poets are not fo well acquainted with good eating, as otherwife they might be, if oftener invited. However, even in Mr. D'Urfey's prefence, this I would be bound to fay, "That a good din"ner is brother to a good poem:" only it is fomething more fubftantial; and, between two and three a clock, more agreeable.

I have known a lupper make the most diverting part of a C medy. Mr Betterton, in "The "Libertine ," has fet very gravely with the leg of a chicken; but I have feen Jacomo very merry, and eat very heartily of peafe and buttered eggs, under the table. The Hoft, in The Villain †," who carries tables, ftools, furniture, and provificus, all ab ut him, gives great content to he fp.tors, when, from the crown of his hat, he produces his cold capon: fo Armarillis (or rather Parthenope, as I take it) in " The Rehearai." with her wine in her fp-ar, and her pye ia her helmet; and the Cook that flobbers his heard with fack-poffet, in "The Man's the Malter," have, my opi

* A Triced by Thomas Shadwell, a&ted 1676.
† A fragedy by Thomas Porter, acted 1663
A Comedy by Sir William Davenant, acted 1669,