[ 28 ] [JAN. 



THE multiplication of books, upon all subjects, in the present day, amounts 

 to a feature in the history of the time. No sooner does one original publica- 

 tion no matter of what character succeed, than the town is inundated with 

 fifty speculators, breaking their necks which shall be first in imitation of it. 

 Thus we have Brummagem Scotts writing novels; and Brummagem Byrons 

 making verses; and Brummagem newspapers out of number; all outvying 

 each other in doing wretchedly, that which somebody else has already made a 

 hit by doing well. And so from matters of fancy coming down to matters of 

 fact no sooner did Mrs. Rundall and Dr. Kitchener acquire a name by their 

 standard works upon " roasting and boiling," than new " Cookery Books " 

 sprang up faster than the mushrooms which they were to ordain the pickling of, 

 in every publisher's window in town : of which last extemporaneous creations, 

 the volume now before us " Domestic Economy and Cookery, for Rich and 

 Poor," in 700 pages, price nine shillings presents rather an interesting 

 specimen. 



We make it a principle never to comment upon any book in this Magazine 

 (except in the " small letter" notice at the end), unless it be a book very admi- 

 rably excellent, or very particularly bad : and therefore it may be as well to set 

 out on this occasion by stating, that the work now in question is not only 

 " very particularly," but rather too bad. Because, if a great accumulation of 

 worn-out recipes upon the " aptest" manner of dressing beef-steaks, is to be 

 exposed in booksellers' shops, at the price of " nine shillings," a cost, by the 

 way, at which we confess we do not well see how the " Domestic Economy " for 

 " Rich and Poor " is to find its way readily into the hands of the last class of 

 persons, to whose attention it is recommended-? is it not too much to demand 

 that the book if there is neither novelty nor talent in it should be got up 

 with some share of human reason, and common sense, and respectability. 

 Now, how far the "Domestic Economist " brings himself within the limit of 

 this very open principle, as " Reviewing " at length is a little out of our metier 

 a few extracts from the more comprehensible and unculinary parts of the book 

 shall " frutiiy." 



In the first place, the " Domestic Economy " purports to be written by 

 a " Lady ;" and, we sr.pjo.se, we need not ask whether she is a Married lady, 

 lor she sports the st}4e of the ring in the her first puge. The immediate topic 

 is some unheard-of po.ssible extension of the powers of " butchers' meat " in 

 affording sustenance. And the " Lady," after intreating the use of all the 

 faith her readers can afford, breaks out ns follows : 



" I once saw a French family, consisting cf.ix grown persons, a child, and a jackdaw 

 who, by-the-bye, was the heaviest of tJic d(.!tt upon the meat dine on one pound of 

 lean veal, made into a rieh rcyout, with UMK-hrooms, morels, c. and goose fat the 

 properties of which I have amply enlarged Upon. This may astonish my country folks, 

 as I assure them it did me: and, in the expectation that the moral of it may impress 

 itself on others as it did on myself, I place it thus forward, as being the first thing that 

 opened my eye to the advantages of French cookery. I may farther add, that this entire 

 family was enjoying perfect health ; and had never heard of many of those disorders 

 which, under the different appellations nervous, bilious, c., are too prevalent in this 

 conn try." 



This style is ccri;\h;!v peculiar, for a lady; but we suspect that the authoress 

 of the " Domestic Economy " knows that her forte lies particularly in it : for 

 as soon n.s we get into the common phraseology in which people talk about 

 matters of business, \\e fail in our English so fati.lly, as to become unin- 

 telligible. 



As for example. After complaining that " the poor" will not understand, 



* Domestic Economy anil Cookery, for Rich and Pcor j by a Lady. Longman's 

 London, ]' 



